


Roll of the die

by Gallavantula



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video)
Genre: Arthur dies AU, F/M, Ghost Arthur AU, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-02-28 07:33:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2723993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallavantula/pseuds/Gallavantula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fate and history are not defined by one single incident, but by many choices and the consequences of those choices. Arthur's luck was a little different this toss around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Split-second choice

**Author's Note:**

> Around a week after the original video was released, I got the idea "What if Arthur died instead?" and worked on this.  
> I hope my interpretation of the cave and his future are exciting to explore!

Hikers were getting lost on a natural preserve, and some fell to their deaths inside of a cave located on the outskirts of the region. Many who are rescued claim that the cavern mislead them and lured them deeper into the tunnels. The paramedics assure the journalists that their explanations are symptoms of dehydration and hysteria, along with shock for those who were injured. One of the rangers was not assured, and found out from a friend who knew a friend with a recent haunting had called a group that took quick care of it. 

Getting the number, she called the Mystery Skulls after her shift and begged them to come investigate. Moderate fees were discussed and the transaction was made. They’d come by in the area tomorrow. The ranger put the phone down in it’s cradle and heaved a heavy breath. She glanced up to the shift board, looked around at the photos of the gang working the mountains and the ranger squads tutored here. She had a lot to protect, and she only hoped this was the right choice.  
__

Vivi assured everyone that this was going to be an easy job. Enter the cave, find the source of the haunting, exorcise the source and get some easy money. Lewis was completely on board, combing over his hair in front of the vanity as Arthur sweated in the hallway, gripping his left wrist tight with nerves. Lewis smiled, his teeth whiter against his caramel dark skin and turned beautiful amber eyes towards Arthur.

“Don’t sweat it Arthur, we’ve got your back.” Lewis assured in a musky tone, receiving a small shaken smile from Arthur before turning back to the vanity and running the water to wet his tooth brush. Vivi had taken his comb and was working on her blue hair, taking out the knots and working away the dried flakes of hair dye. Lewis’ soft comment caught her attention and she leaned against the wall, her eyes squinting a little from the lack of glasses. 

“This is an easy job, Arthur. No kidnappings, no murders. It’s just a lost ghost trying to get out, following the hikers and getting them lost too. It’ll be easy.” She assured with a sweet tone, wincing at a particularly solid knot.

“I guess that’s true.” Arthur admitted, looking partially forlorn as he shuffled his feet, his anxiety already mounting and his need to calm it rising. Lewis tucks his tooth brush between his teeth and is already helping her manage her hair, combing it with his fingers and the brush. Vivi fell comfortably into his front, closing her eyes and placing her trust in Lewis’ care. From there, Arthur’s heart pounded and his skin rose in a layer of gooseflesh. Without a word he left, fingering his lighter in his pocket. He’d wait for them in the car.  
__

Outside, Arthur leans against the back of the van, smoking one of his three last joints. It’s small and packed with sweeteners, not ever going to work in masking the smell but making for an extra burn and some nice aromatherapy. He breaths in patterns of seven and inhales or exhales on the count of eight. His sleeves are rolled down to battle the chill, the sun hanging behind some heavy clouds that might bring snow or rain. He stuffs his free hand into the vest pocket, tucking his neck as he inhales the heat from the butt of his joint. Already he feels the orb of pressure in his chest release, and the tingling pin sensation has spread outwards from his chest. 

He packs them small to make sure he doesn’t get a huge high, only wanting the calming effects from it’s use. His angry thoughts are still swirling around him, pushing down on his chest and his heart and Arthur almost coughs but he stills himself and holds it in. ‘You’ll never be happy like this.’ they remind him, angry gnats bitting at his ears and the inside of his eyes. He uses his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, pinching it there to distract his body from the feelings and bring it elsewhere. ‘They don’t need you like you do, Art. They are far happier without you, you know.’ His fist clenches and he takes a final full drag into his chest, thrumming in his throat as he holds it, his head beginning to swim a little. ‘You are a rat, eating their scraps. You are garbage they are too lazy to clean. Clean yourself out…’ Eventually the exercise works, and the voices have become faint and at a distance. 

Arthur moves around the van and opens the front door, finding the little garbage bag stuffed in it’s cup holder and discards it there. Then he slides into the van and buckles in, leaning the seat back and flicking on the tape. The tape spits a little as it starts to spin before the music crinkles through the speakers. Immediately the soothing tune of Louis Phillippe’s Flying Man begins to play Arthur sags into his chair, head leaned back and eyes fluttering shut. The pool of warm pins in his chest spread out and his body stopped shaking, stopped sweating and hurting. Finally his breathing was mellow and he could forget the routine. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he dwelled in the music, tapping a finger completely off beat against his leg. Eventually the song passed and another came on, soothing him into staying like that for a while. Fifteen minutes passed and he was at grips with his new state. 

The back door suddenly opened and Arthur managed to not jump. “Get up boy!” cooed Lewis, letting Mystery scramble in and shut the door behind him. Mystery started barking excitedly, rushing to the front of the van over the back seats and yipped softly, coming around and licking Arthur’s face once. “Oh yuck, c’mon boy!” Chided Arthur quickly, rubbing at his ears and neck before the pup curled around and sat down in his spot. With a jovial laugh Arthur ran his finger’s through Mystery’s coat and over his back, ignoring Vivi’s head popping up across the way. The moment her door opened she was already talking.

“So it’s only a three hour drive north from here, I’ve already packed the compass and flares, I don’t have a map but we can try using the GPS.” Lewis laughs in response and opens Arthur’s door, wrinkling his nose at the hint of the smell. Immediately Arthur’s throat clenches tight and his left hand begins to shake a little. He knows Lewis doesn’t judge him but knowing his friend is still uncomfortable about his drug use made his worries sky rocket. 

“Hey Arthur, I was thinking I’d drive today.” Lewis says softly, soothingly and Arthur can’t help the voice that accuses him of being patronizing. From the corner of his eye he sees Vivi slide in and close the door, moving Mystery to sit against the door and he knows. He knows why. He mutely nods his head, not even trusting his tongue not to say something passive-aggressive before unbuckling his seat belt, lowering his chair completely and shimmying over to the back seats. The moment his legs are clear Lewis pulls the lever and the seat shoots back up. 

“Alright, seat belts on every body!” Vivi cheers, putting hers on and using the leash adaptor to buckle Mystery in, who sits up straight and proudly by the door, yipping once in agreement. Lewis does the same and revs the engine. Arthur puts the waist belt on and leans forward, already curling his arms around the head rests to be a part of the group. The music is his and his alone, at the very least that has remained intact. The van began to vibrate in a familiar way and Lewis was already turning them from the dusty road to the pavement. Once straight ahead, Vivi leaned her head onto his arm. Lewis glanced at her and smiled softly, turning back to the road. Arthur ran fingers through his hair, mussing the two black chunks and laid his head down, deliberately looking the other way.  
__

 

The trip was relatively short, with Vivi and Lewis sharing stories and passing the time with small car games. Grandma’s suitcase, for example, ran on until they played it with a full alphabet and half the next, before Arthur became too anxious and the game was dropped. They tried playing with signs and making acronyms against the advertisements, but Vivi always failed to think of something useful and Arthur got sidetracked thinking about older cases where he deciphered messages the same way. Eventually all kinds of traffic was scarce and signs of human corruption invisible. 

The trees began to grow taller and more clustered, soon growing tall enough to sag over one another, branches intertwining. Lewis began making comments about how usually trees will only grow at a certain distance apart from one another in order to insure a proper food supply, and that human tree farms don’t follow the same principals, but Arthur’s not listening too much. Eventually they come to the limits of the reserve, and a jeep is parked there, with a blond woman waiting outside. Her hair was in a pony tail, tucked in behind her hat, and her khakis matched her jacket. Hiking boots and a riffle behind her back completed the look.

Lewis took no time to park beside her vehicle, turning the ignition off and jumping out to talk to her. Vivi made no movement to get out, petting Mystery who had fallen asleep and roused him to a full fanged yawn. Arthur glanced over to Lewis again and watched him move. Raising his arms to emphasize a point, eyes transfixed on the speaker as the ranger pulled out a map. The moment Lewis bent over to get a closer look at the map Arthur was forced to look away. The curve of his shoulders and back were too much too bare. This turn of his head caught Vivi’s attention and she turned to look at the hunched Arthur.

“You doing okay, back there?” She asked softly, Mystery turning his head as well. ‘Oh, I see. She cares now that Lewis’ is busy. Pathetic.’ the gnat started again, curling a tendril of dread around his heart. Arthur smiled shakily and waved a hand in a an assuring gesture. 

“Yeah, just a little worn out is all. Need another smoke soon.” Arthur then admits with minor hesitation, and Vivi’s worried expression goes sympathetic. His chest clenches and there’s cruel laughter in the back of his mind, which he winces instinctively to stop. Vivi reaches to pat him on the shoulder and it’s all he can do to not flinch from her. ‘Don’t touch us, we’re scum. Vile, putrid, loathesome…’ 

“It’s okay to be anxious, your feelings are your own and it’s okay to worry. But it’s important to realize when to worry, and when your worrying might be too much. We,” Vivi hesitates for a split moment, as if trying to find a good substitute or explanation and it’s barely there, but enough to sting. “care about you a lot, and want you to be happy.” is said with a warmer, more genuine smile. Arthur can feel it in his chest, that he could reach out to her or clasp her hand and feel alright, but in his heart the beast is clawing at him and his flaws and what he cannot achieve and the moment passes before he can reach out. Her hand retracts and she turns around, Lewis coming back into the van with a final wave to the ranger, an envelope in his hand. 

“Alright gang, so here’s the deal.” He starts, turning about in his seat and looking Arthur in the eye. Arthur stills for a second, and it seems to be enough of what Lewis is looking for before he looks down and opens the envelope. Arthur feels his heart hammer softly in his chest, and he squeezes his left arm hard. Thinking about that isn’t going to change anything, he mentally shouts, watching Vivi easily slide around to be seated beside Lewis. Inside is the first half of the payment and a map of the area, as well as a small note. “The ranger told me that this cave used to be reserve exclusive until the back side of the mountain had a recent erosion collapse. The collapse killed four hikers, and opened new tunnels inside the mountain, creating a looping path that met both exits. The problem started when they tried to seal up the second mouth of the cave and map out it’s new interior. A ranger was lead into a dead end and almost starved to death.” 

Immediately Arthur’s arms began to crawl and he tucked them against his chest to quell the strange feeling on his skin. That’s really scary. Suddenly having nothing under your feet and falling… not knowing where you’ll land. The moment he thinks it he regrets it, because the voices start singing scenarios and methods in which he’d enjoy the taste of death and it takes more than he has to shut them up. He needs a smoke real soon. 

“She called us because she knows her rangers and the hikers personally, and they’ve been in bigger and worse situations than ‘this pitiful hill’,” and here he makes quotation marks and changes his voice a little to make it sound mocking, and Arthur thinks it’s a paraphrase from the ranger. “so she’s called us in to check it out. I asked for a small travelling fee to get us started. If it’s a regular exorcism it’ll be another thirty, if it’s a demon we’ll have to go over what we use and price it from there.” 

Vivi nodded her assent and started looking over the map, pulling it wide and finding the proper markings. Her and Lewis, as he started the van and waved goodbye to the leaving ranger, discussed possibilities and methods in which to investigate the cause of the lost hikers. Every now and again Arthur would sit up and make a comment, bringing them back to the original discussion and helping them focus. Eventually though, it devolves to Vivi and Lewis talking about the apartment and how to spruce it up a little, focusing on their corner of the space, and Arthur just isn’t feeling it anymore. 

They seem to be smiling towards each other as he turns his head away, looking over the other side of the fence. The trees are so dense and… dead this far out. Thorns have woven their way over the bark and their barbs seemed to glow a brilliant gold, glinting as the Van passed them. His thoughts jumble as he fights the voices away, weaving in between traps and trying to use a method his therapist had taught him, but he had seen her too many years ago to really be effective at it. Distantly, he pulled out his phone and made a reminder for himself to get a new therapist and work through his issues. The car lurched and Lewis threw it into park. Arthur raised his head and looked over, seeing Vivi already gathering their things and leaps out the door, Mystery bursting behind her and running to the bushes near a sign.

Already Arthur shudders, eyes locked on the sign as it reads ‘Danger, restricted area, no trespassing.’ in large red letters. In smaller letters along the bottom it had written in yellow letters ‘police investigation site, no entry without a permit permitted.’ His stomach drops and he blanches, feeling seriously ill and repulsive all at once. He caps a hand on his mouth, afraid he may be sick already as his head spins heavy and hard. For a moment, he wonders if this is a sudden change in atmosphere but it soon dulls into a small queasy feeling. Was that… a poltergeist aura? 

“C’mon Arthur, I need help with the torch!” Vivi calls, breaking his focus and allowing him to open the side door and slide out himself. Closing it with his body, Arthur takes his sluggish time walking around to the back of the open van. 

“Why not a flash light? That’s easier to do.” In the distance he hears Mystery yip the way he does when he’s done vacating his bladder and starts walking around his feet. Lewis is going through the big box in the back that Lewis built into the bunk seats, the metal arms holding the trays at different heights for maximum storage. Lewis finds the match and the lighting oil, just as Vivi finished wrapping the brittle fabric around the end of the wooden pole. The two of them handed off their burdens to Arthur and started rummaging for other things. 

“A torch isn’t electronic, this way we have a light that won’t betray us suddenly. We’ll know when it’s about to go out.” Vivi chided, shaking her head as if Arthur should know that already, and he shook his head in response, feeling so defeated about it. He should have remembered that. Not wanting to be told again and increase his anxiety, Arthur soaked the fabric and carefully lit a small hanging bit before the heat washed over his face. Looking back, Vivi was shaking the compass as Lewis pocketed the flare. She was grumbling and frowning, looking at the needle. 

“Well, there’s certainly some activity happening here.” She affirmed, holding out the compass for everyone to see. The needle was out of control, spinning in circles so rapidly that it was barely wobbling at all. Lewis grinned, his spirit of mystery beginning to burn bright in reaction. Arthur’s hand curled around the torch. 

“Excellent, it’s a powerful one too! This should be an exciting run, eh?” He says with a broad smile, nudging Vivi who giggles and snorts once or twice, making Arthur blush and choke in the same moment. How could she be that cute and heart crushing at once? He pressed his mouth in a thin line, forcing his feelings down and it jumped at him a little. Isn’t that weird? 

“I felt a poltergeist aura earlier, made me nearly sick.” Arthur supplied, and both Lewis and Vivi placed a hand on each shoulder, looking concerned. And almost eerily, like twins from a movie, they spoke as one.

“Are you okay?” Their faces crease with concern, hands holding him warmly. Arthur sees Lewis’ beautiful amber brown eyes glittering under long lashes, his round but handsome face framed with a beautiful curl of lips and a smooth chin. Arthur sees Vivi’s cherub face, round cheeks framing her slanted eyes and the beautiful blues that glittered just as bright. Her curved lips looked like a bow when she smiled and Arthur’s heart just shattered from the beauty of his two best friends. What a monster he was, not able to choose just one and make this a regular love triangle problem.

“Yeah, thanks guys.” His mouth autopilots for him, and the two look a little more reassured but nervous. He manages a warmer smile and shrugs his shoulders with a tilt of his head, a gesture he’s used countless times during their lives together. Lewis squeezes once and lets go, turning away to close the doors of the van as Vivi holds his eyes, her own moving a little to the left and to the right to show that she was deeply looking into each of Arthur’s eyes. In the back of his mind like a crumbling castle he felt each little brick of resolve crumble and fall apart, the whole beginning to sag from behind and collapse. Before it could be seen elsewhere, Vivi squeezed Arthur’s shoulder and pulled away, dipping down to talk to mystery.

“You ready, boy? You going to help us find the ghosts?” She puppy talks to him, and at first Mystery arches an eyebrow as if her attempts were demeaning, and Arthur’s mouth twitched for a smile. She beams and changes back to regular talk. “You know I just like to baby you, right?” 

Mystery sits down and turns his head away, pompously pulling up a paw to be shaken. Vivi just laughs and grabs it for a shake. Mystery rolls his head around and fixes her with a look. She plays dumb and pats the paw like you would console your grandmother, and finally Mystery relents. “You may kiss the royal paw.” He says in his weird, supernatural way of speaking. Vivi beams, proud to get him to break his disguise even for just a moment and loyally kisses his paw like you would a queen. Satisfied, he smiles and retracts his paw, sitting up and wagging his tail. 

“I’ll help you get your paycheque.” Mystery jokes, trotting over to Lewis to bump his head into the man’s leg. Lewis grins, having locked the van up and takes Arthur’s torch.   “I’m glad for the help!” Vivi adds on top, turning to Arthur and waving a hand for them to get started. Together they walk down the small path towards the cave, and Arthur gets to take a proper look this time. The cave to him looks like the carving of a jack o lantern, sharp teeth formations hanging like a gaping mouth, ready to swallow them whole. Two holds higher into the mountain seemed to be a formation of bat caves, but they made eerie eyes that glowed from a light within the caverns. Arthur tried to swallow twice, succeeding the third time and worked to steel his knees.

“Do you smell that?” asks Lewis, walking confidently at the lead of the group. Vivi takes some tentative sniffs around, and Mystery parodies her from below. She shrugs her arms and looks at Lewis. Lewis looks to Arthur, jaw set. Arthur shrugs himself and breaths in heavy, releasing it in shaggy jagged exhales. 

“I smell small amounts of sulfur, if that’s what you’re talking about.” says Arthur softly, looking at the foggy nature of the entrance. This seemed rather ominous to him. 

“I thought so. The ranger did mention a natural vent for it around here. It doesn’t smell too strong but we’ll keep together as best we can. If the smell gets any stronger, we’ll turn back. Agreed?” Lewis asked seriously, pausing to look back to the group. Everyone unanimously vocalized ‘Agreed’. Satisfied, Lewis smiled warmly and roved his eyes over Vivi, then Arthur in the same light. It stunned him for a moment as they continued down the path the few last steps into the natural rock of the cavern. Perhaps Lewis was dwelling on his affection for Vivi and forgot him there? Arthur stumbled to get going, grabbing his hip to make him go faster. The moment his foot touched the rock his entire body pulsed like it was on fire. 

Arthur stumbled, almost falling over when his whole body rippled in a surge of sweating and a cold chill that settled in his head and dried his tongue. He’s felt similar reactions before, from when he’d feel a ghost enter the area or near the object of a poltergeists focus. Though it was a little different from it’s strength and ferocious reaction towards his body, he assumed it was the same as before. “Guys, it’s a strong one. I don’t think we’re ready.” He manages weakly and in parts to say, eventually slowing even Lewis to a stop. His body sways a bit and he leans against the cool wall, feeling the thrum pulse from his touch and react with the mountain. 

Vivi is on him in an instant, checking over his hands and his face, feeling the parlour and sweat, using her scarf to clear his forehead. Arthur smiles at her, too shaken up to remember that he shouldn’t encroach on Lewis’ territory at all and that he should let her know that he was alright and didn’t need her help, but her presence was too much of a comfort for him to say no. The light around them gets brighter and Lewis is hovering over Vivi’s shoulder, mildly worried and somewhat curious. 

“He’s really sweating here, Lew. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.” Vivi admits, bitting her lip and fretting over Arthur’s erratic pulse. Her hand is steady against his neck and he closes his eyes for a moment, trying to find balance in his head as Lewis and Vivi talk over him.

“Are you sure, Viv? This is important.”  
 “I know that. But Arthur’s the one sensitive enough to feel them, and if it’s this bad? He might be right.” 

“We need the money though, hun, we’re still short this month.” And there it was. Just one word, that was all it took for Arthur’s chest to cave in on itself and for his mind to go blissfully blank. Hun. He felt better, somewhat, his body wasn’t shaking any longer and he was able to stand. Vivi watched him carefully as he rolled his neck, as if walking away from being tackled by a foot ball player. 

“Didn’t sleep so well last night and I didn’t smoke before we came in, I’m a little worn out. I’ll be fine.” He managed to say without a waver or hint of distress. He looks down to Vivi and smiles, offering his hand to help her up. Her face is pinched like she wants to argue, but she’s got two votes against her and she shoves her hand into his. It’s to show her disagreement and some would say it’s childish but Arthur knows her better than that. Once she’s up she pokes him in the chest, and it’s a rather sharp jab, but he can’t hold it against her, he’s blatantly lying and she knows it.

“The moment it gets bad you warn us, okay? Don’t push it.” Vivi says scornfully, her nose still pinched with furrows as she glares Arthur down. He feels sweat gather in the pitch of his back, and his hands are up in surrender before he even realizes he’s muttering.

“Y-yeah, straight away.” 

Vivi harumphs in her chest and turns on heel, fixing Lewis a hairy eyeball and he shrugs lightly in response. She flicks her two fingers over her forehead and salutes it away, taking lead, without the torch. Lewis and Arthur make eye contact and he shrugs in response, making a small smile to bridge them. Arthur does not take it and walks forward himself, urging Lewis to lead the way.  
__

The cave was vast, expanding up into beautifully round ceilings and cornering stalagmites into arranged arches above. There were places were it was necessary to hug the walls and work their way around stalactites that rose up from the floor, taking a good chunk of time waiting for the next person to reach the end and lend a hand up. There were ropes arranged agains the walls to help with holding on, and in other areas planks had been set down to lead them. Clearly, the reserve intended to use this as an attraction to bring more revenue, and this case felt more relevant than ever. Something needed to be done about the ghosts in here, and free up the space. Arthur was hesitant to make any claims, even as his skin seemed to flash between overly warm and eerily cool. He felt sweat build up underneath his shirt and gather in the waist of his pants, but there was nothing for it. He urged them forward and it was too far now to go back.

Eventually the group found a split path with signs, though both had only question mark stickers and no real useful directions. Lewis paused in his steps, already closer to the left entrance, and waited for everyone to catch up. Vivi looked at Arthur’s parlour and frowned, more concerned than annoyed at this point. “Hey Arthur, you doing okay?” In which he only nodded with another plastered smile. Mystery padded forward to sit beside Vivi, and gazed around the group like a well seasoned leader.

“A split in the path?” Is all he says before Lewis nods in turn.

“A split in the path.” Usually Arthur would be paired with his dog and the two would find the source, and Lewis and Vivi would swoop in to fix the problem, solve the case and get the cash. His thoughts were too awhirl to really agree or disagree with his inner criticism, and his feet began moving him towards the right path.

“Arty?” His steps falter and he almost stumbles, giving himself incredible whiplash when he looks over to Lewis. To his credit, the guy looks sheepish. He shrugs in his shoulders and doesn’t make eye contact. “Hey, do you want to partner up this time?” And the question sounds more like a beggar pleading for mercy. Arthur’s flabbergasted by this sudden feeling of control that his head starts to lurch and spin the other way. 

“Yeah, sure.” Arthur somehow boldly manages to say nonchalantly, and he can see from the corner of his eye a thumbs up and wink from Vivi. He supposes he shouldn’t have been able to catch it, but he doesn’t dwell on it further. ‘He’s going to scold you for something you fucked up. You can’t trust their kindness, their friendship is a charade, a deception of their real feelings.’ Shut up. ‘Vivi was glad to be rid of you. She thanked Lewis for stripping the burden of her concerns.’ Shut. Up. They followed the way up the bend, rising maybe another story off of ground level before it was becoming lighter. Lewis hefted his torch up, keeping a bubble ahead of them for obstacles.

“So Arthur, any other feelings yet?” Lewis murmured softly, catching Arthur in the middle of his internal argument. The older boy again snapped his head around and grimaced a little. 

“I still feel disoriented and sicky, but it’s not spiking.” He offered dully, eyes downcast again as he watched his step. They were quiet, Lewis only answering with a hum before they made another turn and rose a little higher. Here Lewis paused and turned around. Once more Arthur was startled and paused in his movements, like a petrified deer. 

“How are you feeling, yourself?” Lewis urges, his face torn with concern. Arthur’s heart snaps shut and the voices rage. ‘Why does he only care when it convenes him? His attentions are fickle and immature. We have no need for his pettiness.’ 

“Fine.” Arthur asserts a little roughly, grinding his teeth against the aggressive torrent in his mind. He cannot stop scolding himself for forgetting to smoke before he came in here. Lewis takes a step closer and Arthur takes a step back, finally relaxing his posture. “I’m on edge because of the cave, it’s no biggie.” Here Lewis scowls more harshly, and Arthur would be damned if he didn’t flinch from that alone.

“I”m serious, Arthur. I feel like you’re pulling away from us.” His tone was dangerously low, and he held the torch around to look into Arthur’s face. Again his stomach roiled. ‘An interrogation? Is he finally cutting your cord?’ the voice peppered in between, and Arthur immediately gripped his left arm for reassurance. Instead, it felt cold, and offered no reassurance. 

“I-I…” He tries to defend, raising his hands and rolling them but he doesn’t know if it’s to keep Lewis away or assure him. Lewis stares his way, eyes intent and doing that small wobble that is usually eye searching. “I’m not, I’m just… more tired.” Arthur murmurs, voice taunt. Lewis doesn’t seem convinced, but doesn’t move to approach him any further.

“If you’re suffering, you shouldn’t have to do it alone.” 

‘Perhaps if you had paid more attention…’ the voice teases more tangibly in his ear, and he winces for it. “I won’t.” He assures with more conviction than he feels. He can tell that his friend has joined Vivi’s boat and is feeling frustrated, but they won’t push him. He sighs heavily, almost a rattle, and turns half way towards the tunnel. 

“Well, come on.” Lewis whispers, shirking his shoulder for Arthur to follow but his tone sounds defeated. Arthur’s burden feels heavier as his shoulders sag. In his heart, he knows he answered wrong, but he can’t bring himself to say anything. ‘You’re just a coward, what do you expect?’ reminds the voice in his head, and for a moment he wonders if it wasn’t more insistent and aggressive. Was he this tired earlier? He feels his mind spin but he can’t tell what it’s from anymore. His steps feel heavier but he pushes on, following Lewis’ trail in an awkward, tense silence. Then, Lewis reaches again.

“So, what did you and Vivi talk about?” Lewis tries, his voice holding a false positive note that rings poorly along the cave walls. Arthur spares him the struggle. 

“Just some advice to handle my anxiety, nothing big.” He shrugs casually, forgetting to look down and stepping on a rock. He feels unbalanced for a moment and his heart rate spikes but he’s okay. Lewis does not notice.

“Did it comfort you?” He says softly, and it takes a few moments more to understand what was said. Comfort me? he muses, confused by where Lewis was going and helplessly pulled along. ‘What care does he hold now? This is irrelevant. He has ignored you before…’ but he’s not listening to the gnats that make his eyes feel dry.

“Not extremely, but it’s usually just her assurance that works best…” Arthur manages with a bated breath, fidgeting with his bracelet as a distraction. Lewis hums softly again to show he heard, and turned a bend. 

“I love spending time just opening up to her. She gives the best advice, I recommend you give her the chance to talk with you.” his best friend says with a smile, glancing back for a moment before taking the lead, coming to a landing with an open lip. “If you ever feel alone, you can always run to her.” Lewis hesitates for a moment, feeling disoriented that the tunnel suddenly opened up this way. Arthur is struck dead, feet spread as he hesitates. He hears clicking in his mind, soft taps that seem rhythmic, and it only worsens the gavel in his mind. Was this a test? Was Lewis trying to lure him into a trap, to catch his friend going after the same girl? Though Arthur was far more selfish than that…. 

“I would, if I could.” He suggests bleakly, trying to salvage the burning bridge before him and he is thankful that Lewis is distracted. 

“Do you not care for her, then? The way I do.” ‘There it is, Arthur! The truth! He is setting his trap!’ the voice screamed again, melting his mind for a numbing moment where Arthur was forced to clutch his head, stepping forward to catch his faltering balance. W-what..? he tries, but it continues to shriek and writhe, too big for his head and he feels his mouth dry up. What is…? His mouth seems to move almost on it’s own, but he can still feel it like he was in control. 

“I do care for her dearly, but do you not love her?” in a plain, pinched tone. It’s too late to take it back. It’s too late to turn and run.

“I love her more than the moon and the stars Arthur, but-“ but there is nothing then. Time as it was a moment ago has been rendered useless and was broken discarded, set aflame. Arthur feels his heart, the warmth of his body shatter and scatter like an exploding pellet, scoring up his insides with pain. Emotional pain so sharp he almost gasps like a fish on land. All along, he had known Lewis loved her. But hearing this confirmation, so plain and poetic, he knew there was no future for him, no place anymore. Lewis and Vivi would come together, and he would be expelled like used plastic. 

‘YOU SEE, BOY. I HAVE TOLD YOU. THERE IS NOTHING FOR SCRAP LIKE YOU. DISPEL, BE GONE, FOUL BLITHE.’ his mind shatters and he feels numb, so painfully numb. Reality has changed and warped in those precious seconds that his whole being imploded, sound turning like liquid syrup in his ears that poured down his throat and choked him. His left arm vanished and he felt nothing on one side of his face. Was he struck? He tried to breath, but his mouth could not move as he wished it and his vision swam back into sharp focus. Then, Lewis leaned further along the ledge to peer down.

‘PUSH. PUSH. PUSH. DESTROY HIM. REGAIN ORDER. REGAIN. PUSH. REGAIN. PUSH. IT’S EASY.’ the voice is dominant, lifting his arm before him and his body knows enough to cry. The tears feel like burning flames along his face, and his left leg suddenly lifts and moves him forward. His palm retches open like a festival claw and he wants to scream. It’s too late; it was already here. ‘I WILL SHOW YOU SCUM, HOW EASY IT IS TO FIX YOUR PROBLEMS.’ 

His hand aims for Lewis’ back, and he knows what this poltergeist is trying to do. His body was still partially his and he dropped his knee just as the spirit lifted his left leg again, completely cutting him of balance. In a panic that was complete unison they began to scream, and the sound was sharp enough that Lewis recoils and dances out of the way. Again time is like a soup, sloshing aside and bringing things into a too sharp focus. At first Lewis is surprised, his eyebrows lifting and eyes wide, mouth reaching an ‘o’ shape. But then he looks into Arthur’s face, watching him lurch forward out of control and his hand reaches forward, trying to catch him by the hand that was trying to reach for his life. 

In the small corner of his mind, Arthur could still think and feel. He recognized that if this ghost got it’s hands on Lewis that it would be over. This being inhabiting his left craved blood and murder. He could not think of anything but to protect the man he loved from himself. He reached for his own traitorous arm and tugged, pulling it aside in the same momentum of his body. What Arthur didn’t realize was that his actions pulled his body from the safety of the lip. He felt his right shoulder hit the ground and slide. His shoulder touched air. His hip hinged on the stone and he felt the air begin to tug at him from the top down. His head went below floor level, and Lewis was still leaning forward to reach him, dropping the torch.

Distantly, he heard more screaming and a loud, booming voice. From his own throat tore laughter that was never his to have, and his feet cleared the lip. He began to fall. His eye framed the distance down, focused on the lip until Lewis was leaning over it, throwing himself down to try and make a swipe for him but it was too late. He was too far gone. For a moment, he sees a tear float upwards from his face. His possessed hand lifts to grab his throat, choking him and shaking him but it didn’t matter. He closed the eye he still owned, and waited. 

He's pinned and pain blossoms around him like a spider web of pain, but he can't trace it. The spectre is writhing in his mind and he can't make it stop, and soon he's washed out. Lewis, Vivi... I love you two. I'm... so... sorry........ The pain was so sharp he felt that perhaps the spirit would have been killed by it too.


	2. Unforeseen Investigations

Lewis was beaming for once, his arm raised above his head with a thick, very crinkled envelope. Vivi was waiting in the van, hefting a thumbs up as Mystery leapt up into the window with an excited bark. He’d been talking with the Reverend about payments for the extensive work they’d carried out over the last three weeks. Eventually, he agreed to their fees and passed over their dues. Lewis thanked him kindly and took off towards the van, pleased that the rent would be covered for this month.

“Is that what I think it is?” Vivi grins excitedly, shifting back in her seat as Lewis opened the door and jumped in, instinctively strapping on his seat belt. Mystery yipped softly and settled into his seat again, waiting for Vivi to strap him in as well.

“It’s the whole payment, in full, cash. We’ve got enough for rent and food, plus some.” Lewis animatedly spoke, pulling the envelope apart to show the enormous wad of cash in it. Vivi’s mind reeled for a moment, her eyes sizing up maybe three thousand dollars in that little folder and she was too excited to say more. 

“Oh gosh, Lewis!” she squeals with delight, leaping forward to pull him into a tight hug. The both of them start laughing, relief and thankfulness full in their hearts. This mission had been incredibly long. The church had been constructed over an ancient burial ground, and despite the usual accusations of the whites taking the land, it had been an agreement to protect and sanctify the dead. The church was growing old and falling apart, and the caretakers of the grounds had made plans to construct and erect a new church in it’s place. The spirits were not aware and thought the oath broken.

Their time was spent working between the spirits and the Reverend with very little information on what they would need in order to accept the new building as a continued dedication to the oath and not a blatant defilement. Vivi was strained, trying to use her powers to better communicate but with what she had, it was a long struggle. Finally the plans were agreed on, and construction had begun to replace the current, worn church and build a better living quarters for the emissary. 

“With this, we’ll be good. We can take it easy.” And though he is still so excited and relieved, fatigue is evident in his voice. Lewis had been sleeping poorly on the cot in the back, curling around Vivi as they slept. She hadn’t the heart to push him away, longing for that comfort herself but feeling too drained to push it further. 

“Finally we can relax and tidy the apartment.” Vivi mentions with a laugh, squeezing Lewis a little more before letting go, and petting Mystery while she buckled him in. Lewis started the van, glancing at the radio and hesitating. His heart clenches in his chest and he debates on touching it. Vivi clicks in her own belt and he decides in that moment, pushing the button for the cassette and it clicks in. Lewis hears the little wheels turning and leans back into his seat, putting the van in reverse and pulling out of the driveway. 

Vivi smiles with pain in her heart and eyes a little more dewed than before, Arthur’s cassette playing softly in the speakers as they take the next highway up, settling in for a long ride home. Vivi curls herself into Lewis’ side, leaning her head back and watching the last rays of the sun settle below the horizon, the night coming in at full force and spreading it’s speckled cape wide. Lewis leaned into her a little, in a constant debate if he should remove his arm from the steering and curl it around her, but he felt like that might be beyond a friendly gesture and his heart pangs hollowly. If Arthur… but he stops himself short and steels the ripple of emotion that wants to bubble up and out of his chest. Arthur’s not here anymore. Lewis’ feelings for Arthur… well. Instead he focuses on the road, and tries to recall the way home.

Their drive is supposed to be rather late, falling into a time frame of about four hours and will get them home around 11. Lewis grins at the thought of getting the chance to sleep in, in his own bed while he fiddles with the GPS. Vivi thinks about the cake left frozen in the deep freeze and wonders how low it would take to defrost for tomorrow. The two of them are content to silence, listening to music that has been with them through everything since their loss a year ago. Soon Lewis finds the exit and takes to a smaller road, following the curving lane into the denser forest. The trees become thicker and more clumped together, and his heart begins to pump more quickly with a pang of nostalgia. Did he take a wrong turn?

Vivi rouses from her light doze, rubbing at her eyes from beneath her glasses and blearily peers around her. For a startling second she thinks she’s continuing her nightmare of the forest and the desolate cave that night, but she can see that Lewis is here with her and that’s enough to convince her. “Where are we..?” she mumbles softly, sitting up in her seat. Lewis glances down at the GPS, checking for the directions and he can see that they are on the right path. A small trail to their left is coming, and he watches the road. The song ends and another begins to play, and the road on the GPS comes and goes but there’s no physical sign.

“I think the GPS is malfunctioning.” 

“What??” Vivi clenches on his arm, leaning in to take a closer look when it flickers, flashing blue and green before shuttering orange and powering off. The two share a worried look as their engine stalls loudly, the lights within the van flickering and struggling to power on. Vivi is making that hissing sound of anxiety, looking to Lewis who keeps peppering the gas to move forward, but the Van stutters and slows to a crawl. 

“We filled it this morning!” Vivi exasperates, tapping at the radio as the tape choked and shuddered, as it was dying out. The Van stops moving completely, and no amount of turning the engine will make it start. Lewis frustratedly bants the top of the steering wheel port, sighing as he steps out of the car and makes for the hood. With the door open, he stops and finds himself freezing on the spot. Vivi was leaning forward, undoing her seat belt to ask what was wrong when she too froze. Mystery’s growling rose a little louder and it dawned on them that he’d been warning them for a while. The audio from within the van is still churning though everything else is dead, and Vivi’s arms are covered in goose bumps from the feeling of a passing aura. A ghost..? 

“You see that, right?” Lewis leans back against the seat of the car, allowing for Vivi to reach forward and grasp his shoulder. She mutely nods, fixing her glasses with her other hand. 

“It looks like… an apparition.” Vivi exhales in awe, looking at the tangerine structure before her. It was a rather large house, but each partition and window was like a frankenstein piece attached to the whole. The higher left piece looked like an old victorian building with shutter windows and darker orange brick, and a sharply slanted roof with dangling shingles. The right side was like a business building, a perfect square’s corner with a plain border around the plain window and plain roof. The bottom halves did not meet the upper ones correctly, one half slumping like it was soaked wood and rippling into a squished heap. 

The other half was an opposite. it was broken and pushed apart, spikes reaching out from within to pierce the wood and press it outwards in level breaks. It bulged outwards and splintered, like the partition would collapse before you knew it. The whole building was illuminated from within and the windows hummed even from where they were sitting, pulsing with the music that was playing. It changed tone to something minorly corrupted, coming from an unfocused signal. Jovial, bright but eerie all the same. 

“This is what’s interfering with our car.” Lewis manages to speak at least, the song not stopping and continuing to loop, already sinking uncomfortably into his head. Vivi nods and turns back, unclipping Mystery who leaps out of the car and immediately begins to smell the path and gate before them, which hung open on broken hinges. 

“Then we’ve got to figure something out and put a stop to it.” She asserts then, hoping out of the car and taking the keys. Together, the three of them stride up to the front door of the house, and ignore the ominous wood carving of a pierced heart on the door. It feels like the whole building is breathing, moving like it has a heart beat, and Vivi finds herself shuddering from the thought. Before Lewis can press it open, the knob turns, the door swings open and creaking loudly for them. Vivi reaches for Lewis’ arm and grabs his sleeve instead, the two stepped forward together, Mystery hot on their heels. The barrier into the house shudders about them and pulses, a hot flash over their skin that is mostly a phantom feeling than an actual sensation.

Inside, they step forth into a large corridor lined to the nines with doors. Two levels were presented like those of a hotel, and each door had a sigil on the front. Though everything was an eerie shade of orange, dark green wood lined the floors and hi lighted the candle sticks and door knobs. Vivi’s heart thudded with excitement, eyes roving for details and small inconsistencies. What a great haunted house! She leaned forward a little more, peering further down the hallway but it gave the illusion of continuing for ever. 

“Woah….” Is Lewis’ impression, eyes looking at the floating candles along the inside of the pointed ceiling, some hanging upside down and their light flickering like it was being constantly blown out. The green candles had shaded orbs for flames, sucking in the light and creating small voids around them. Lewis thought thankfully that there were fewer of these green candles than the orange ones. 

“This is really cool.” Vivi agrees, looking to their immediate sides for two stairs leading up to the next floor. The group was so busy looking around that they did not notice the door slowly and silently begin to swing closed, and only when the dead bolt slid shut did the sound reach their ears. Mystery was the first to leap up and spin around, snarling worriedly as both Lewis and Vivi spun to see the orange aura that locked it in place. Lewis broke out into a soft sweat on his brow, pulling out his kerchief to dab at it while Vivi bit her lip to quell her laughter. This wasn’t something she should find amusing but her love for horror and the supernatural was why she was in the business in the first place. 

Then, in perfect timing a clap of cymbals startled them again and the trio whirled around to see a lone wind up monkey standing in the centre of the entrance. It was the typical circus dress with a fez bobbing on it’s head, and it’s arms reach open to clang again. Then Vivi and Lewis grip each other tightly, instantly on alert from the apparition as it’s winder began to spin, the crank echoing as it’s arms began to move more quickly. Bang, bang, bang. bang… Mystery barked once, leaning forward on his paws to prepare for an attack. 

“It’s warning the others..!” Mystery warns between snarls, his hackles lifting as Vivi nods and releases her momentary terror. Lewis worries his lip, straightening himself out as the monkey stops suddenly and is still. They can feel that whatever was moving it has left. About it’s tiny toy body the world seemed to warp like water on a pond, and orange hues shimmered into reality until five ghosts hovered there. Each was a brilliant tangerine with cylindrical bodies, stretched out into normal human heights and warping their shape. Their tails met the ground and seemed a part of the house, bridging it’s needs to their bodies to carry it out. 

On each of their chests was a heart shaped space of colour. Two wielded robin’s egg blue and held arms around themselves. Two had purple and wiggled gently, swaying almost. The center ghost seemed to have a shimmering hue of both with a toxic looking green tainting the whole and making it look like glass. The five parted maws and hummed, tuning their voices before they began a barber shop’s tune, eerie echo sending the song far. Vivi clenched her fist in excitement, thinking that perhaps the ghosts they were dealing with were deceased musicians needing to preform to pass on, and her mouth tore into a grin as their beat synced with the house.

Lewis moved to search his pocket for the flask of salt, preparing himself for an attack but his senses weren’t sharp enough to catch the five ghosts hovering behind them. Suddenly the song that was harmonized down the hallway was full throttle behind them. Vivi’s heart leapt as she turned to watch them sing, these cute, mournful souls. Lewis placed his hand on her shoulder, instinctively looking out for her when the five ghosts leaned down and warped, spreading maws wide with fangs forming, eyes parting to reveal pits of fire with licking green shades and a hollow laughter that spoke of enjoyment and pain. 

Vivi’s heart leapt in her mouth as Lewis tugged, already taking off up the stairs and dragging Vivi with him. Mystery scrabbled hard to follow as the humming began to chase them. Turning the corner they ran past a few doors before finding a corridor and diving down the way. Vivi pushed off against the corner to prevent herself from crashing into it, skidding as her shoes failed to give her proper grip. Lewis stalled for a moment, allowing her to grab her momentum before he let go and they ran together, Mystery readily nipping along their heals in speed. The end of the hallway was soon, the floor and walls all changing wallpaper suddenly as they ran into a new sector of the house. The walls had nursery rhymes and little cartoons following a parade, arranged in neat, nauseating rows. 

The walls were supposed to be a beautiful sky blue but the orange hues of the house and the green highlights of the floor made the shading of everything sickening to look at. Lewis decided on the second last door on the left, throwing it open and letting Mystery and Viv rush inside before stepping in backwards and bracing the door. It took him a few moments to realize once it was closed that their haunted pursuer’s melody had cut off. A new, more softer tune began to play, a lullaby of sorts. 

Vivi looked around the child’s room here, pulling in as many details as she could as Mystery went around sniffing for danger. Her chest panged as she took stock of the room. It was all clearly cut out, from the crib to the teddy bear and ball, they were cardboard stands coloured poorly in crayon, as if paper games for a child. They all lined up and had angles towards the door they entered, creating a strangely 3D feeling for a 2D space. In the middle of the carpet floor however, a shape lay quietly. It was completely white, having Vivi almost miss it completely until she noticed it didn’t have the tell tale rim of the other standees. Taking a step around, Mystery’s hackles were raised and watching the curled white shape. Lewis finally stepped away from the door and looked around, observing what Vivi had already assessed.

“This… looks like a child’s view on a play room.” whispers Lewis, walking up to the dresser cut out and noticing it’s exaggerated size before taking a look behind it. He expected to see a piece of wood holding it up or legs, but instead he finds another white shape bundled there. For a second he flinches back, fearing an attack but he then realizes that the white shape is only coloured in behind the standee. Looking closely, he realizes it’s a small child, bundled underneath a blanket as if in hiding. Unsettled, he stands up and looks at Vivi, who’s slowly moving towards the centre. 

“Is that…” She starts to whisper back when it moves. Her arms are up and she stumbles back a step, Mystery curling in around her leg and Lewis moving forward when the hollow, quiet sob reaches them. The little bundle shifts, and Vivi realizes it’s crying. A ghost crying on the floor? Was this a multiple haunting? Perhaps this is why the house is so big and tangible… The little bundle begins to shrink in on itself before funnelling upwards, becoming the shape Lewis had seen behind the stand. The blanket came to be and solidified around the shape, it’s back to the three of them. The bundle turns slowly and Vivi feels a sliver of ice shoot straight up her spine and causes her scalp to prickle as a single green eye catches hers. 

“I want to go home…” A neutral voice echoes from the bundle, turning around a little more. Lewis can see that it’s a small child, maybe four or five, and it’s little hands clench hard at the blanket. Wet tears are gathering around the poor thing’s eyes and every drop that falls dissolves into sparkling gold light that is feint and disappears quickly. 

“Lewis.” Vivi whispers, trying to catch his attention as she steps back again, trying to avoid direct eye contact with the child in order to avoid a possession. Lewis nods and draws out his salt, ready in case of an attack. 

“Why won’t mother come see me anymore?” The child asks, dropping it’s eyes to the floor as it sobs again. “Did I do something wrong?” It asks after a long while, still not moving from behind the carpet cut out but Vivi and Lewis know demon’s games well and patience is a virtue they both learned fast. The entire house seems to suddenly shudder and groan, the ceiling and walls turning a ghastly shade of mixed green and orange before bowing inwards, almost like a collapse. Vivi and Lewis are still as statues, Mystery focusing on the babe without even flinching a muscle. Scare tactics like that are also common. The voice they hear, however, is not.

“Oh you dirty little thing, you weren’t meant to be born. Mother never had a need for a clumsy brat like you. You’re the reason Daddy hates me. Mother will never come back.” A warped woman’s voice coos, and the child moves as if injured. On the blanket blooms a green stain like blood and it rolls to the ground, looking back to the group. 

“It’s not my fault I was born…” It cries softly, eyes flashing a soft orange before turning intangible and fading back into a small white shape, and then further into nothing. Only the green stained blanket remained. Lewis stepped forward and tossed salt onto it without warning and the blanket shrieked. Vivi flinched then, not expecting the loud tone that assaulted her senses and placing herself behind Mystery. The blanket warped and shifted out into a mucus looking blob, hands reaching up and grasping at nothing, still screaming. 

“Vivi!” Lewis cries, jumping back as he tosses another handful of salt at it, and she folds her fingers together into three loops and places her pinkies together, holding the whole forward from her chest and chanting a banishment incantation. The green blob arches up, trying to take form and is delayed by the salt. She knows the shortcuts and translations by heart and cuts down a twenty minute sermon into a three minute abbreviation.

“She never loved him like I do! No one cares for the scum like I have!” It writhed and cried, parts of it’s body becoming intangible as both the salt dissolved it’s form and the incantation carried away it’s soul. A small hole warped into being and sucked it through, creating a bright flash that momentarily stunned the group. When it cleared, Lewis came to stand beside Vivi and she breathed out in relief, smiling up at him with reassurance. Around them the room had removed all shades of green and was normal and restored. The cut outs were gone, and in it’s place was a bedroom. 

To one side rested a very old, very worn looking bed with blankets tossed around, small dips in the mattress showing it’s age. A nightstand held bottles upon bottles of medication and flasks of whiskey, and a broken lamp. The floor had papers and boxes that weren’t unpacked, stacked up to make a dresser with an ancient computer monitor on it. Against the wall was a clothing rack with business suits and shirts, and littered on the floor were jeans and boxers, clearly a men’s wardrobe. In the opposite corner of the room was a crib that had been torn apart and broken down, turned into a very poor substitute for a bed frame. On it was the same teddy bear from earlier only solid and worn out, button eyes missing and one leg almost empty of stuffing. Before the bed is a small suitcase, and within it are small articles of clothing and two other small toys, looking rather dirty and frumpy but folded away. Clearly an adult and child shared the room, but it was nothing like the previous appearance. 

Vivi clenched her scarf between her hands, trying her best only to assess the facts and keep the feelings out of it. This was a part of the job, finding out the tragedy behind the person and working with them to let it go. Getting too attached only made it harder on her and Lewis to let go. She shook her head and turned to the door, seeing the handle gleam with the orange from the rest of the house and started towards it. Lewis took up behind her, putting his salt away and Mystery padded up close behind. Once open, they stepped into the hallway and were taken aback. Down below was the entrance to the house and it’s awning hallway. The door snapped shut behind them, and they glanced at it. Warmly, a golden heart shimmered above the door and Vivi took it as a good sign.

“I think we’ll need to investigate more rooms.” Starts Lewis, glancing around for the ghost barber shop quintet that had followed them, but there was no tangible trace yet. Vivi nodded and leaned down to pet Mystery, more to sooth her nerves than anything. Doing so gave her a glimpse of something downstairs, and she narrowed her eyes to see it.

“Something’s changed.” She says instead, leaning onto the railing and having Lewis follow her. Down the corridor to the very end glows an emblem they can’t make out through the strange fog, but Lewis can see an outline and knobs. 

“I think that’s a door.” Lewis announces in awe, turning to look at Mystery who’s siting on his haunches, folding his arms around his chest and thinking hard. Lewis stands back from the rail and keeps an ear out for threats, but it’s unnerving hearing the heartbeat of the house underneath his feet and about his ears. 

“I’d say so, it looks like there’s three more parts on it’s front.” Concluded Vivi, also turning around and regarding Mystery. “What do you think, Mystery?” 

“I’d say we have another three exorcisms to do before we can move on.” Concludes Mystery, nodding before unfolding his arms (Vivi and Lewis will never figure out how he manages to do that) and standing up on all fours. “Investigating the lower floor is certainly worth a shot.” Lewis nodded, thinking it a good idea as any; Vivi wanted to stay and investigate this side more thoroughly but she then realized that their end of the building had lost a considerable amount of doors. A quick scan makes her think that maybe there are about five doors on this current floor, and the downstairs somehow stretches out wider and longer than the top floor. A clever deception, that. 

“Well, we’d better get to it then.” Vivi sniffs softly, taking point and bringing them down the stairs before turning down the way, and examining the long wall of nearly identical doors. Each one had the same heart print carved into the wood, but the very top had a small inscription plated there. Lewis stepped forward to look at the nearest one, lifting a hand to aid in focusing his eyes as he read it out load. 

“Penance.” He murmurs, fixing Vivi with a worried look before she strode forward and checked the next door, leaning up a little on the top of her toes. 

“Jubilance. That’s a drastic parallel.” She huffs softly, glancing back at Lewis as he shrugged and walked along the doors, reading each one as they went. Futility. Absolution. Terror. Epiphany. Stress. Calm. Dysphoria. Enchantment. The words all held a balance between them, usually states of being and feelings to the human condition. As they went the doors did not stop coming, but every glance behind revealed that they were not any further from the entrance and the stairs than before. 

The bending of reality was a little unnerving until eventually Lewis needed a breather. He walked back to the stairs and took a seat, spreading his legs to support his head as his thoughts spun around in his head. Mystery padded beside him and sat down, placing a paw assuringly on his leg. If this was already getting to them tonight was going to be a long one.

“All I can see in the theme of the doors is drastic emotions and the human mind, that’s all I have.” Lewis finally speaks up, turning his head to Vivi who shares his expression of frustration. Her arms crossed and her foot began tapping, biting her lip in thought. 

“They’re not only that, but parallels to each other. You could say that one word is the positive outlook while the other is negative. Like Anger is negative while Comfort is positive. Maybe it’s a clue?” Vivi proposed at last, holding out her hand and helping Lewis up. He stretched his legs and nodded, fronting a smile of encouragement. Again the two took to the doors, reading through the names. Eventually they found that the doors were shuffling with one another, words they had just read before coming back four doors down. Vivi began to despair, feeling like she couldn’t see the obvious puzzle before her.  
“This is getting annoying.” She grates, taking her glasses and rubbing her face in frustration. Lewis pats her back and for that she is grateful. 

“We’ll figure it out, we always have.” Lewis utters, feeling his chest clench a little at the thought, and what was left unsaid. Vivi was the master exorcist, memorizing texts and the leader who lead with a passion. Lewis was the planner, the quick thinker and people reader, the go to guy for figuring deceptions out. Arthur though… Arthur was their own piece to the puzzle. He could decipher codes and crack symbols like they were nothing. He had a knack for figuring out passwords and solving riddles, a useful tool when facing the undead. 

“Yeah.” Vivi replies, her own pain shutting out her jovial mood and the duo return to looking over the doors. Vivi’s mind is spinning and it’s making her feel cranky, her teeth grinding together as her frustration mounts. She begins pacing between doors, reading the up down up down of the positive, negative connotations. Then, it’s when Vivi’s pacing madly, glaring at the doors that the conceived pattern is broken. She eyes the doors double time, reading them over quickly and whistling loudly. This brings Lewis and Mystery rushing to her side but she fears if she looks away they’ll disappear. 

“What is it?” Lewis is pressed to ask, and Vivi blindly grabs for him and brings him to stand beside her. 

“Look. Grief.” She points to the right door. “Guilt.” She points at the left door. Lewis looks between the two, trying to formulate a thought and make a connection, but all he can come up with is one is mourning for love, and the other is dwelling on a crime or impossibility. 

“I don’t see it.” Lewis admits, looking to Vivi but she’s already reaching for the door labelled ‘Grief’. 

“It’s a double negative.” Is all she says before her hand settles on the knob. The metal is hot and burns her, but she can’t let go. Her body jerks and she makes to yelp but the whole world feels like it’s been submerged in water and her body sways with the rushing tide. Lewis touches her and she’s surprised that she can feel him, feel the tug between her body and the door before he manages to tear her away and they both fall. The feeling is gone the moment contact is lost and they land in a heap, Mystery yelping and darting out from underneath them. 

“What a rush!” Vivi announces, holding her head with a laugh. Lewis just groans from beneath her, weakly pushing at her until she shot up and helped him stand. They dusted themselves off and shrugged at each other. Vivi went for the other door but Lewis caught her shoulder. 

“Vivi, let me try.” He spits worriedly, immediately regretting his hasty response but she understood his concern. Vivi had just experienced something rather invasive, and as the leader she should have been more cautious. With a nod she steps aside and lets him move forward, Lewis rubbing his hands together and pacing his breathing like an athlete preparing for lifting his weights. He extends his hand, Vivi already placing her hands around his waist in case she needs to pull him back, and with a count of two he places his hand on the knob.

“…Well?” Vivi asks softly, popping her head around the body before her to see just as the door swung inwards, softly and without a sound. She frowns, feeling cheated by touching the wrong door and Lewis grins apologetically at her.  
“At least it’s open now?” He offers as a consolation, and her sniff of disdain tells him that it might just be enough. The inside of the door is dim but neutral, grey walls and flickering fluorescent lights greeted them coldly. Mystery was the first one inside, nose to the ground and remnants of his tiny tail hoisted in the air as he padded about the dim hallway. Lewis was next, already fingering his other salt vial as his careful steps make the linoleum squeak under his weight.The trio slinks as carefully they can along the hall, passing a door or two before Vivi stops and peers through the glass. 

“This is a hospital.” She alerts, her senses turning on and homing in. There. Vivi turns her head and looks to the next door on her side of the hall, taking careful steps forward. This catches her teammates attention and they pause, watching for her cues. She signs a threat with her hands and indicates the door, the two nod and she took point as Lewis and Mystery fell in behind her. Again the three of them are as quiet as they can get, and in Vivi’s chest she can feel the pulse of emotion from a spirit. It wasn’t moving or stirring, and a part of her wondered if all the spirits would be trapped in a loop before they arrived to disturb it. 

Vivi leaned agains the door, pressing her ear against the cool metal and distantly heard a distortion of muffled sobbing. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as Lewis flanked her side, leaning over her protectively as Mystery took the other side of the door. Together, they used their bodies to bounce, counting to three before throwing the door open. They expected something to leap at them or something startling, and instead they were met with a very familiar style of scenery.

Though clearly a hospital room, the furniture inside and decorations were all cut outs. In the top right corner of the room hung a flower pot flat, held by strings as it dangled from their movement. A desk was coloured in far better and more dextrously and sat beside their door in the entry. However, what was different was the very real hospital bed and chair before them. Many monitors and machines had been hooked up to a laying figure, and Vivi felt her heart sink with every one she roved her eyes over.

Heart monitor, automated breathing system, sanitary disposal unit, feeding tube… As she took her step forward she noticed that the figure was actually just a doll, taking up the space as a representative. But it still looked shabby and run down, the chest not stuffed correctly and the legs uneven. Lewis placed a hand on her shoulder and Mystery advanced, growling. She glanced up at Lewis and found him frowning at something. Following his line of sight, she spotted the worrisome entity, and the emotions she was picking up on. A second phantom. 

It was very much like the first, a shapeless blob of off-white, huddled over the furthest side of the dolls’ hospital cot and clinging to it’s stump of a hand. It’s shape that Vivi immediately thought as the head was hung over the rail, obscured. It gave another shaken breath that ended in a choked sob. Mystery snarled more audibly, and the blob flinched. It hiccuped softly in that neutral tone it had and shape-shifted, slowly pulling inwards and sharpening out into the more defined body of an eight to ten year old child. It raised it’s head, orange eyes watering pathetically before focusing on the intruders.  
 The child suddenly shook and curled a little, flashing over in a translucent green before whipping it’s head up and sitting up in the chair. At that height it still barely came to Vivi’s chest. “What are you doing in here?! Family only!” It roared pathetically, and Vivi flinched only after the green acid eyes registered in her mind. What was that?  
“Begone!” It screamed, leaping onto the bed and shielding the doll, it’s hands beginning to change shape into green oaken fingers with terribly wicked and sharp points. Lewis immediately stepped in, launching a vial towards the apparition who shrieked and ducked. The vial struck the heart monitor and short circuited the machine. It flickered out and all the other machines began to panic. Vivi immediately ran around the other side of the bed, placing herself back to the wall and arched out her hands, hooking her thumb and indexes into two circles and began chanting, another short cut sermon she memorized in Japanese. 

The apparition shook itself, the bulging green growths half harming it, half benefiting it as it tossed a chunk of it’s flesh at Lewis. Lewis took the same opportunity to lob some garlic powder at it’s face and the thing inhaled air to scream, suffocating and falling onto the doll in it’s panic. Red welts began to flicker over it’s skin and Vivi concentrated, beginning the third stanza of exorcism. 

“Leave father to die!” It croaks, using it’s body to protect the doll as best it can, one massive beastly claw curled around his torso as it’s quill laden head snarled at them. Lewis ran up and smashed a vial of salt down on the ghoul’s back, and retreated back. Vivi finished the final stanza, parting her hands and recreating a new symbol with her hands; one palm flat and held up as the other was spread full lotus and held beneath it at a vertical point. She gave the final kanji a cry and pushed forward. A swirling vortex of black and red sparks severs upon with thousands of shrieks and cries of despair. 

“He’s all I had left…” is the last sobbed sentence before it’s sucked up into the portal above it’s head, inverting and folding in on itself to fit into the tiny pit. Small hands reach from the portal to pull the whole of the ghoul inside, before tearing at the maw of the vortex itself and pulling until it too warped and fell inwards. The silence left behind was only interrupted by the hissing as all the machines petered out, the doll coming apart in puffs of dust before the whole of the room flashed. Again Lewis and Vivi shielded their eyes, staggered before the whole returned. It was a regular hospital room this time, same structure as before, but the bed was filled with a body. The body of an older, sickly man.

The file hanging off the end of the bed mentions an illness that impeded his recovery from a car accident, and Lewis moves forward to grab the blanket and tucks it over the man’s face. Vivi snaps around, preparing to scold him for it when she notices no movement from underneath the sheet, and the same familiar bear from the last room tucked beside his pillow. Lewis turns to her, his eyes very pained and his mouth thin and white. She remembers when Lewis’ Dad was in the hospital for a car accident of his own and how terrifying of an ordeal that must have been. She remembers the way Lewis talked about the honour of the dead, and how no soul should peer upon their resting face. 

She puts the manila down, walking over to hold Lewis tightly and he places his head on hers. They embrace for a while, willing to comfort one another in this dispiriting time within the mansion. His hands shake a little on her back, and her travel up and down his spine in a comforting gesture. 

“I remember when mi papi was in the hospital. But I also remember… Arthur, and his dad who died there.” Lewis whispers softly, painfully. Vivi’s throat clenches and her breath is a quiet rattle. Lewis raises his hand and rubs it against the back of her head, but she is stubborn and the prickling at the corners of her eyes are ignored. “I was always the younger of the two, and I can’t remember how old we were but… I remember how sad he was. I was afraid of him moving away. Instead, his mom moved him to a new neighbourhood near us.” Lewis finished softly, breathlessly, and Vivi sobbed dryly. It has been a long time since they’ve spoken about their friend, and the pain and grief in their hearts resurfaced for just long enough before the two of them to mourn a little more, to feel the loss together before it was time to put it away. They tucked it tight to their hearts and pulled back, smiling at each other with renewed strength.

Then they stepped apart, glanced down at Mystery and received his wagging tail of approval. Vivi giggled softly, glancing to Lewis’ face with warmth in her eyes. 

“That’s two out of four! We ready for the next one?” Vivi enthuses, pumping a fist and turning her shoulder a little for a silly pose. Lewis laughs, waving a hand in return and spreads his legs, striking a very clear sailor moon pose before completing Selena’s moon affirmation.

“We will punish you!” He laughs, dodging a jab from his leader before the two approach the door, turn the handle and exit. Again they are lead into the main hall from the very first door. Stepping out, it shuts behind them and begins to glow softly, a warm gold. Looking down the rows of doors they can see that the hall had again shortened even further, and the massive door in the back room now had one entire side glimmering and glowing with the same gold light. And it’s very edge near the centre was a silhouetted key hole, and both Vivi and Lewis were assured that their actions were the right choice to solving this mystery. 

They assess the other side of the house and notice that it too has changed. The green of the lower floor seems to have oozed up from the wood panels and makes it look rather dangerous to explore. The upper floor has lightened to a more orange colour, the ooze seeping down from the floor above. Vivi wonders if perhaps this was why the segment looked like it was sagging so often. The two decided perhaps the upper floor would have far more to offer and worked their way around the stair case towards the upper floor. Mystery darted up in a hurry, carrying his paws up in a flash before setting forth, smelling the floor. Vivi was up next and held onto the railing, turning around and already looking along the doors for the plaques. There weren’t any.

Lewis came up the steps next, glancing around for the potential threat and other than the steady beating of the whole house there was no disturbances. The trio continued following the hall before turning down another hallway. Vivi is squinting at the doors, trying to see a pattern or something different in the etchings but there aren’t any. These doors are so intrinsically plain and void of detail that Vivi is once more feeling the creep of frustration seize her. This wasn’t how the story should go, she muses. In any comic there’s always a solution.

Lewis glances up at the frames and the door handles, doing his best to be useful but as they turn a third corner it’s not coming up with any clues to their next step. Even Mystery will sometimes loop back, thinking he’d lost his trail but turning up with nothing at all. The group turned a new corner before realizing the entire structure had become a maze. Glancing back yielding a similar hall that also had turns but it went further than the eye could discern. The only real differences they can feel more than see are the soft spots in the floor, where their step makes the wood groan and sag down a little. 

Vivi groans loudly, throwing up her arms before pulling at her scarf and withdrawing a crystal pendant. Lewis has never figured to ask what it was made of, but Vivi holds it between her palms and begins a sermon, closing her eyes and focusing her power on the mineral. Lewis stands guard, turning his back to her as Mystery guards the front. It takes a few minutes but it pinpoints where they need to go and bobs between her hands before she lets go of it. The thing shines a hue of pink and green, and begins tugging her lightly forward.

“Got it.” Vivi murmurs quietly, and Lewis is turning about, glancing through the opaque glass to see if he can spot anything while Vivi follows the trail. Mystery snuffs against the ground, turning his head down certain halls like he can smell something but their guide bobs forward and they follow. It seems to take ages, diving down halls and figuring out when they got trapped in corners, the crystal pointing left as soon as they go right or the crystal suddenly bobbing right as they correct themselves and go left. Eventually they found a corner of the building that was truly a corner, somehow one end of the maze, and there the door was different. 

Upon it’s plain surface was many scuffs and minor scratch marks, making it apparent in it’s difference from all the rest. Once the crew stood before it, Vivi saw near the top a plaque. The plaque had the word “Grief” from before, but it was marked and scuffed itself, making the dot on the ‘i’ almost disappear entirely, and it was nailed in crookedly on the door, lilting too far left. Vivi and Lewis made eye contact as Mystery came up to the door and pawed at it, gently. This was it. Lewis breathed in heavy, mentally preparing himself to reach for the door and open it, but Vivi beat him to the punch and twisted it first, confidently.    
The door swung open and Vivi almost regretted it instantly. Though they assumed standees would greet them like before, this time the standees had been torn and broken, beaten upon until they folded and shore in all directions. Whatever room had been set up for them was destroyed, and Lewis already had his hand on Vivi’s shoulder. 

“Be careful.” He supplies softly, eyes already looking for signs of the next spectre.

“I will.” She responds in the same tone, glancing around before her eyes dress over the corner. There, she sees the figure, but it was harder to spot because of it’s difference. Instead of the usual blob of white that takes a humanoid shape, it’s more personable now. The ghoul was far taller at this point, nearly Vivi’s height, and it’s body was poisoned by the green substance already. It’s left arm was partially bulging and flinching, like it was hurt or broken. The white of the spectre was left pure in the legs and it seemed to sour like milk the higher it rises. It’s face was pressed into the wall corner, and it shifted and moved as if mumbling. Sometimes it would get loud, shouting curses and it’s body shook, but it remained planted.

Vivi feels sick to her stomach, stepping aside to have her back against the wall. Lewis nods and shifts against the other wall, readying his salt and garlic powders when suddenly the nerve inducing spectre made breaking sounds and lurched it’s head around. It looks like it’s neck had broken from the twist but it paid no attention to that.

“I don’t need the help, no one can help me!” It screamed with a broken looking jaw, lurching backwards and extending it’s arms to the floor, already beginning to scuttle towards Vivi. She inhaled to scream and kept it down, already beginning to speak another sermon, trying for a muslim one this time as Lewis lobbed a vial. The thing leapt up onto the wall, dodging the shot as it began howling, running along the wall towards Vivi. This thing was far faster and active than the other two and Vivi’s sermon broke off. 

She leapt to towards Lewis, dodging the spectre’s assault and comes out of a roll to stand against the opposite wall, holding out her hands and beginning an african sermon, already using her arms and legs to make the motions to the dance. Lewis is moving towards the centre of the room, launching another vial of garlic that manages to arc just right and strike it in the face. The ghoul falls to the ground in a writhing, screaming mess, hands clinging to it’s burning face. Vivi finishes her first verse and the ghoul is up, shaking itself off as the green cancer of it’s left side spreads and consumes more of it’s chest and face. 

“My mother doesn’t love me. My father’s dead! My sister is dead! Who could ever love a freak like me?” It begs, shaking it’s clawed and malformed hands in their direction, but Lewis is making himself the target and tosses another vial, jumping over a knocked over standee. The moment he touches the floor it warps, and he stumbles. The ghoul is a howling wind, laughing and sobbing at once as it returns to four limbs and begins running towards the fallen man. Vivi can’t warn him lest she breaks the sermon again and she’s nearly finished her second part. Lewis sits up just in time for the Ghoul to leap upon him. 

“Shit!” Lewis braces his hands, hoping to ward off the beast and he catches it. It’s mangled face comes dangling in close to his own, dropping green slime like before and he feels the floor below him sag. Panic settles fast and he’s lifting his legs, shoving at the poltergeist’s torso to get it off when he hears something break. He gives another shove and winds his body, spinning off and he hears something giving, but he’s panicked and cannot focus. He skids, the beast is falling off and there’s a collapse.  
 Lewis is crawling, trying to get up but a beam falls and almost strikes him. Mystery leaps in, grabbing onto his ankle and holds him tightly in place, leaving the beam to fly back and fall itself into the pit with more falling debris. It seems the entire room is collapsing, and a maw of green slime is waiting at the bottom. Together, canine and man leap forward together and grab onto Vivi, shouting urgently and talking to one another before throwing open the door and leaping into it. Their feet touch the floor and the shaking stops. 

Turning back, they see that the entire room has collapsed. The walls are barely holding on, decorated with posters for oil products, car companies and mechanical references. The windows are warehouse shutters old and worn and grey. In one corner are posters for a complete different reason. It’s robot cartoons and super heroes, a teenager’s shrine to idealistic dreams and a great future. The gap in the floor is a glowing radioactive green and it’s eating at the image, leaving no other clues to this person’s life. Had the floor collapsed on them too? The Mystery Skull gang would never know. 

Together, the three of them stood there for a moment, collecting their thoughts as the green climbed up into the walls and dragged it all down into the pit. Mystery’s ears were folded down, and every now and again he would whine. Vivi eventually leaned down onto the points of her toes and stroked him, using his fur and smell to comfort herself. Lewis shook his head and wandered over to the hand rail, leaning against it for support. That attack scared him senseless, and he certainly needed a breather to recover from it. He stared down at the bottom floor, looking about for a distraction, a pattern to appease his eyes when he realized that the fog had been lifted completely. 

Still shaken, Lewis took a glance around and noticed that the place was rather… different. There were only five doors on each floor, before they met a wall and ended there. In between however remained the enormous door, and each of the four sigils shined brightly. It seems that the floor collapse had disposed of the last spectre as well, and cut their work short by a lot. He turned to Vivi, who was rocking gently as her dog wrapped around her, licking at her fingers in comfort. This was really getting to them. He approached her next, leaning down onto his knee and placed a hand on her shoulder. She slowly moved her head to glance at him, and the weariness around her almond eyes was enough.

“I have some good news.” He starts feebly, offering her a weak, twitch of a smile. 

“What’s that?” She poses quietly, Mystery leaping into her folded lap and nuzzling into her arms. 

“The door, it’s full. I think it’ll open.” He murmurs, feeling like he shouldn’t break their quiet tones with anything louder than that. She smiles then, her mouth still a thin line and she too poses a hand on his shoulder. It’s a little twisted and it doesn’t stay long but it assures Lewis all the same.

“Then let’s go. Get this over with.” She starts, petting Mystery and kissing the red fur at his nape before standing up, dusting her ruffled skirt and turning around. Lewis assumed she’d lead them down the stairs, taking point like she normally would but instead he’s got thin arms wrapping around his waist, and he’s taken by surprise. Vivi’s head is tucked into him and he doesn’t know what to do. So instead he wraps his arms around her shoulders and holds her. 

“Vivi?” He asks, rubbing a hand against her shoulder and she breaths in shakily. His concern is palatable but he won’t push her further, it’s not his place. Instead, her arms tighten around him and he wants to stumble from it.

“We need to sit down and talk after this.” She mumbles into his vest, and he asks for a second try before he hears her. 

“Why?” he whispers just as softly. The dog trots away, following the stairs down without them and Lewis wants to call him back, knowing the bewitched dog should be by their side but Vivi shakes her head.

“I want to stop dancing around /us/.” She spits at last, snapping her head up and fixing Lewis with blazing eyes. He’s stunned by the ferocity and it dawns on him. He knows exactly what she’s talking about, but he won’t admit to it so easily.

“Us?” 

“Yes, Lewis, Us.” She grumbles then, shaking him a little from where her hands hold him around his waist. “You know I care for you, and after this? I don’t think I can run from my feelings anymore. I know we both cared about Arthur-“

“Yes, true, but-“ Lewis interjects, wanting to avoid this conversation somewhat but Vivi the leader won’t have it.

“But he’s been gone long enough that we need to patch it over.” Vivi nods in assertion, squeezing him in a hug once more and letting go. “We’ll do this one after we get the van going, okay?”

“Okay.” Lewis gave in, hugging her tight before letting her go and shrugging as well. She was right, of course. They had been pussy footing around this issue for well over six months at this point. Maybe putting it to rest and making decisions will… help them settle after this fiasco. There’s a loud groaning sound from the other end of the room and the two snap to attention. The enormous two story door is shinning, the middle part with the key hole a beam of light that groans and parts open, swinging towards the inside. 

Mystery is seated before it, bathed in the light like a star on stage and Vivi shrieks with worry. Lewis reacts like it’s second nature and the two take to the stairs, skipping every second step and skidding against the main floor, making a bending turn to dash towards the dog. Mystery stands up, padding forward like he intends to walk in without them and Vivi with her more athletic build pulls ahead.

“Mystery!” Vivi chokes out, reaching a hand forward like it could stop him and it’s only then, with the peel of her voice against the walls, that the light shimmers, dims and dies. The doors are fully vertical, aligned to the walls and leading to an opening. Inside, they see a carousel, the animals in mid leap all glossy wood finish with chips and scratches. It looked incredibly retired, the metal railing dotted with rust and flecks of falling metal. It rotates left before hitting a small gear stop and then wavers right a few inches before holding, straining and the weight drags it back left. On top of a leaping horse, the centre animal to face the door, is the same fez wearing monkey from earlier. 

“Hold on!” Lewis cries, grabbing her shoulder as Mystery stops and snarls, leaning down onto his haunches. 

“Mystery!” Vivi repeats blindly, trying to reach for her dog when the Monkey clangs it’s cymbals once, and ever animal begins to glow eerily yellow, orange. Then, the same ghosts from earlier all appeared, their tubular bodies curling around the poles or the seats, riding their animals as a power surge was audible from behind the carousel. The lights flickered and powered on, buzzing as they illuminated the top roof with flashing lights and spinning mirrors, and the machine thrummed to life, beginning the spin with the rise and fall of the galloping animals. 

Vivi finally stumbled, dipping down to gather her dog as Lewis came to a pause behind her, looking over the room and realizing it was completely closed in. A round room around a carousel? Odd… 

“Vivi, you can’t run like that!” He scolds hotly, more worried about a possible threat then her actual actions but she doesn’t answer him. Her knees are knocking together and she swallows, bating blindly behind her for his arm, and when she grabs it he flinches, looking down to her as she shakily takes a step backwards. Lewis is about to ask her what is wrong but a dark, sinister laughter is beginning to reach his ears. His eyes dart upwards and on the roof of the carousel there’s a hunched figure. It’s sitting on the edge like it’s a bench, legs crossed and displaying their perfect, glossy black shoes. 

It’s adorned in a barber’s shirt with the stripes and elastics around the biceps, but it’s striped black and yellow instead, perfectly tucked into the black dress pants and clashing with the orange suspenders pulled over it’s shoulders. A straw hat is pulled over it’s face, obscuring the figure from recognition. The figure is following the rotation of the carousel until it is face to face with the intruders, and it suddenly stops, floating there but clearly seated on the roof, despite it’s continued rotation. The visual is enough for goose flesh to ride up Lewis’ arms and for his hairs at the nape of his neck to stand on end. The master mind behind it all, this was it. 

The figure then stands, floating in the air from where it was and stands tall, hand still holding the hat in place. A glass heart is revealed on it’s chest, beating rhythmically to an unheard beat, and it was a molten green and blue, with flashes of pink glittering it’s core. Vivi swallowed hard, trembling at the might of this apparition and it’s physical presence in the back of her head. This was going to be a hard fight. 

“Greetings, worms!” The figure finally speaks, it’s voice clearly masculine and a little nasal, a higher pitch than the deep baritone the Mystery skulls had been expecting. He removes his hat, exposing a skeleton face in it’s place and hollow, black eyes. He does a wavering flutter with his hat, spreading his arms wide and like a true ring master projected his voice.

“Welcome to the best show of the undead! Where regrets,” and then suddenly there’s the green slime, bubbling forth from the missing neck in his suit and reaching up to his skull, creating a throat in shape and one tendril worms it’s way up into his left eye, glittering brightly before glowing green there. The ghost convulses, like it’s being taken over and it hands forward for a moment. Yellow fire begins to burn at the nape of it’s skull, bubbling up and around the smooth surface to make a spiking layer of something that resembled hair. It convulsed one last time before lurching back up like a wind up doll and rocking it’s arms, just like an animatronic. It’s voice was deeper, murky and muddied as it spoke. 

“and revenge are our top spotlights~. Please, come in, and die for the show.”


	3. Uneven conclusion

Lewis clenched his fists, angered by the words spoken by the phantom. Die for him? Not likely. He gripped Vivi’s shoulder, who finally seemed to shake off it’s scary apparition and held steady, legs even and held apart. The two nodded with each other, preparing themselves but what they weren’t prepared for was the ghosts fazing into their animals, and the animals themselves coming to life and breaking apart from the carousel. The mastermind howled like a wolf calling it’s pack, and he laughs and laughs, falling between hunching over and sobbing in between or ripping his arms wide and cackling like a man with nothing left to loose. 

Lions and Wolves and Bears and Horses and Elk and Unicorns all came rushing out, breaking the wood off from their bodies and exposing a metal skeleton with gears and joints and hydraulics. One of the Unicorns exposed a drill for a horn, and spun it angrily as it began to prance in their direction, rearing it’s head up before hoisting it down and aiming. Lewis gave a kick pat to Vivi and darted right. Vivi took the signal and darted left, spreading apart as the animals began roaring like metal slicing metal, dispersing to try and hunt them down. 

Lewis groaned softly, realizing that the maze of doors would have been an excellent way to lose these guys and with only five doors it was not enough to confuse them. He tries one, and regrets his choice when green slime surges forward, almost enveloping him in it’s eerie embrace. He ducks, drops limp before rolling over, avoiding being caught and somehow luring two of his followers into the trap. A Bear lumbers forward, rearing up and getting caught under the tide, pressed down to the ground in a tremendous change of weight. A lion that had been rounding it’s companion was overtaken under the surge as well, rolling onto it’s side and struggling. They screech and hiss as the goop envelopes them into silence, and a smell spreads from the surface along with steam as this green slime begins to melt their metal, and they surge and struggle. Lewis watches in horror as the goop drags itself back into it’s hiding place, hauling it’s disintegrating prey inside as the door clicks gently shut. 

Lewis is then back on his feet, trying the next door and seeing the same maze as before, from the upper floor. The basic, unidentifiable walls and monotonous doors are not a pleasing sight but it’s all he’s got. He darts inside, leaving the door open and starts pulling on doors from each side of the hallway, opening them up behind him and he keeps running. It seems to work at first, some doors unloading more slime to trap the metal, steaming animals that howled and shuddered. Some avoided those traps, barreling through the doors and splintering them to pieces. Lewis is quick on his feet, using the swing of the doors to spring board him to the next one, going as quickly as he can to avoid getting too close to the approaching threats. 

It’s when he opens another empty door that a hyena leaps over a door frame and lands upon him, sending Lewis to the ground in a very painful heap. Shit, shit! He fretted, turning around and preparing to shove at the metal frame when another blob surged forth from what he had assumed was an empty door and strung forward, enveloping the Hyena and already beginning it’s work on the metal. From the tube like front rose a strange shape, and Lewis’ heart stuttered as a ghastly face formed there. 

“Oh Lewlew, looks like you got a boo-boo!” The thing jeered, laughing so hard that it’s face warped. The Hyena beast was pulled further into the body of the blob, passing around the door and disappearing from sight, it’s cries and catching metal quieting until it was gone. The sounds of the other animals stopped as well, and the eerie lack of sounds is what sent Lewis on the edge. Just what the hell was this? How did this thing know his personally assigned nickname?

“What the matter, dog got your tongue?” It spat more aggressively, wriggling out and sitting up, looking down upon him. Lewis’ gut feeling was that this spirit was far different from the master mind inside the main doors, though it was a big part of the warped colours inside the mansion. Perhaps two parts of a whole? He did not get much time to think on it when the shape of slime spread tendrils to create arms and legs, splitting off from the rest to form a malformed person. Lewis recognized the shape of the claws, the strange face from the last apparition they fought, and realized that those smaller spectres had been hijacked by this one. In his mind he realized right away that he was facing a demon, and this demon had taken hold of a very, very powerful ghost to do it. 

“What have you done?” He says instead, avoiding eye contact as he knows to do. He begins to sit up, but a green, glowing claw is armed against his throat. 

“What have I done?” It repeated with Lewis’ voice, only more angry and disgusted. Lewis balked at the change of tone, and it gave the demon his time. “I have taken care of the one everyone abandoned. I took care of the whelp when his mother abandoned the mistake. I stood by him as his father died. I TOOK CARE-“ It screamed into Lewis’ face, and for all his strength Lewis flinched back, eyes snapped shut agains that splatter of spit. “OF THE BRAT AS HIS FAMILY SHUFFLED HIM OFF TO HIS UNCLE.” It then calmed, dropping Lewis voice and taking up it’s eerie tenor. 

“When his friends left him, when they lied to him I was there. When his love refused him, and his second love stole the first, /I/ was THERE. I cultivated the perfect vessel for my rise, created the best mind for my future rule, and the welp KILLED IT.” The demon bellowed, grabbing around Lewis’ throat and picking him up effortlessly, pressing his back into the wall as the claws sunk into the wood, pinning him there with heavy pressure. Immediately Lewis’ legs are kicking and his hands come up, trying to wrench the thing tightly pressed against his throat but it will not budge.

“Poor, Younger little Lew-Lew.” The demon perversely cooed, using another claw to brush his cheek in a mocking irony of tenderness, the acidic content burning a line across his face and his his of pain is more loss of precious oxygen. “No one cared for the bastard, not even you.” And though the world is tunnelling around him, Lewis’ mind seems to still be ignorant of it, like the endless nights he tries to sleep. He repeats the nickname like it’s mocking, his mind repeats. It’s personal, it’s meant to get into you. But why? Why is he being targeted by the demon? He cannot think very well anymore, when his vision begins to ring red and the bursting pain in his chest is suffocating him more than the pressure against his neck. 

Suddenly, he’s dropped, and his head rocks hard against the floor, without cushion. 

On the other side of the haunted house Vivi is picking up her feet, having found the first door led to the children’s wallpaper maze, and she was forced to put Mystery down in order to keep running. He was a bigger dog, having longer legs than a Jack spaniel and the body to handle running. Vivi never knew what his breed was, but he was there for her since she was little, and her first dabbles into magic had been with him. It’s why he could talk, Vivi smiled, taking his command to try this door and pulling it open to dive in. A man’s best friend? He was this girl’s secret keeper, and he was irreplaceable. 

The room they chose was the very same playroom they first found, standees and all, and Vivi’s heart lurched at the idea of having to ward off another spectre alone. The crib was knocked over, and a few scuff marks littered the walls, like something struggled to get out. What if the whole was to be repeated, no chance of escaping until they did die? Vivi needed Lewis to be able to fight anything, she just knew the words to banish things… They shouldn’t have split up, that was their mistake. Her mind clouded partially, her shoulders shaking gently as Mystery barked again, running his nose into her leg.

“Vivi, we have to move!” Mystery barked again, rutting his head against her but she leaned against the wall, feebly trying to pull out her crystal from underneath her sweater. This whole ordeal was beginning to get to her, and badly. Never had they fought this many spectres in one house. Never had they dwelled for so long in a possessed space, with such twists of reality at their every step. She clasped her crystal pendant tight, shaking her hands as it pressed to both palms and prayed, mumbling softly as the filter of awareness dimmed. Mystery curled around her legs, trying to be reassuring when she feels a hand press onto hers. She glances up over her glasses and tries not to react. 

“It’s okay.” A neutral voice promises, and she assesses that it’s the little spirit from the hospital room, patting her hand carefully. Her whole body freezes up and she can barely breath, her lungs locked up and full. She cannot respond as she’s trapped staring. 

“He’s not himself, right now.” The spirit continues, patting her hand again before pulling on it. At first Vivi thinks it’s trying to take the crystal away and she locks up completely, but the phantom floats and lifts her, and in terror she releases her body to try and stay grounded. Instead, she lands on her feet and almost falls over when the spectre lets her go. She stares at them after catching her balance, hands clasped tight. 

“The demon is keeping him grounded, keeping him confused. You have to dispel of the demon.” It urges her, eyes fully orange and almost crystal like themselves, and nostalgia hits her hard. They look like Arthur’s… Her mind clarifies, and she smiles with wet eyes. 

“Do you know what I can do? What the target should be?” Vivi presses, tucking her crystal into one hand and holding out the other one. The spectre grabs hold of her hand and shakes it, gently, smiling her way and her heart hurts so much. She misses him. 

“The demon is behind his heart.” It says, softly, leaning up to kiss her forehead and it’s then she notices that it’s bottom half had begun to fade. The affection just wrenches her heart apart and she wants to start crying, but she reaches with her hand to try and hold onto the spectre. In her mind, she hears Arthur’s laughter, a whisper of his voice promising her love and the world, and her heart bleeds inside her soul. Instead of contact, the spirit goes transparent, just a hollow outline of what it was and it’s smiling sadly.

“Please, you must. If he isn’t saved soon, he’ll forget me, and then he won’t be a person any longer, just anger… and sadness…” The spirit whispers, blowing her another kiss before fading completely away from sight. Vivi doesn’t know if it’s gone from this plane or just resting, and she takes the last option to heart. Tears trickle down her cheek and she breaks, holding herself tightly as the sobs bubble up in bigger and bigger pops from her lips before she a sobbing, choking mess. Mystery howls softly, mournful and he butts in between her legs, reaching up to lick her wet cheeks. She pulls him in for a hug, shaking and clinging tightly to reality as her mind grieves. 

Oh Arthur, why did you have to go? she cries, sometimes speaking sometimes mentally questioning, but Vivi is far too gone to notice nor care. She’s sitting there for a while, pouring her heart out until she calms, tucking in the bleeding corners of her heart and cleaning her face of tears onto her sleeve. Once she’s gathered herself again, she pets Mystery’s ears and mane back, kissing his forehead a few times and whispering assurances to him. 

“Thanks boy.” She sighs at last, the hiccups gone from her chest and her breathing calmed. 

“Anything, for a beautiful lady.” Mystery winks, laughing softly as she ruffles his head in retaliation. He backs up and leaps off, doing a quick spin before standing before her and barking. Vivi takes the opportunity to sit up and pats herself down, removing the dust from her skirt and approaches the door. She leans on it, placing her ear against the wood and feels the chill through her earrings. There are no loud sounds down the halls and she levers the handle open, slowly leaning it open to peer partially down the hall. It was empty. 

Vivi slowly slips through the door, Mystery leaping out between her legs and she slides against the wall, very slowly and quietly shutting the door again. She faintly hears the click of the bolt sliding and it’s quiet enough that she breathes out what she had been holding. Keeping her eyes sweeping the hall for danger, they begin walking back towards the main hall. To take on this spirit, she’d need to plan with Lewis. She tries to think about where he could be, now that he’s run off on his own. There’s a fracas coming her way and she dives behind a corner, listening as the thundering of heavy machines come closer and closer and their noise is coming directly down the hall she’s hiding in but just like that they pass by, crashing around and moving further and further away.

Just like that, she uses her luck to navigate the maze of halls, waiting behind pillars or vases for the threats to pass her by before ducking down another path. Eventually she draws out her crystal, praying with it between her hands before it finds Lewis and homes in on him. It’s then as she’s crawling along a wall, the crystal bobbing before her that it begins to flash red in it’s core as warning. Panic settles like a thick coat of bile in her mouth and Vivi swallows hard, scooting across a door and finding that it’s indicating the one at the end of the hall. Gratefully she dashes across and pushes open the door, having it slam against the wall loudly and abruptly before she can close it. 

Her spine shoots daggers of ice up into her neck and she shivers from it, turning to close the door anyway as her crystal lifts and points up and it’s then she worries more. Her eyes follow it up and surprise surprise, Lewis is up on top of the carousel. Except he’s not alone, and she hasn’t seen that creature before. It’s a green being, glowing like a cavern fungus and she’s instantly regretting her noisy entrance. 

“”Little dove, little love, where have you been?” The demon coos in it’s dark, broken tone and immediately Vivi is aware of her situation. She makes a dash for the barrier around the carousel, hoping to jump under the tram and roll into safety, wait for the demon to bugger off to get to her but he’s already appearing before her, morphing upwards from the floor like a slime monster from a video game, shaping out into a large mound before she can skid around it. Mystery howls loudly, catching it’s attention split second enough for her to pass by it’s blind side, jumping down into a slide that bangs up her knees and rubs her naked thigh really painfully but she’s under the barrier and making for the tram. 

“You little BITCH get back here!” Croaks the demon from behind her, throwing itself forward and working to catch her but she’s already making a dive. 

“Lewis!” She tries, crawling underneath the the metal frame and rolling as far as she can from the lip. She knows now that it can rise up from the floor so she works to get to the lip from above and crawls in, pulling herself up onto the empty floor of the now abandoned carousel. Just underneath her feet she can hear the monster cursing and writhing, having missed it’s chance and she’s running around to the other side, looking for the mechanic’s lip. 

Once she spots the handle she crashes into it, heaving at the lever to expose the inner circuits and most importantly, the maintenance ladder. Vivi can hear the beast searching for her below, and it’s easy to kick the metal door closed behind her, locking it before throwing herself up the steps and work her way up to the top. From there, she reaches for the box and slides it open, thumbing the latch to open the top door, and from there she climbs quickly onto the wooden surface of the roof.

“Lewis!” She calls again, more quietly, but the man isn't moving at all. She crawls over to his side, curling in beside his torso and she’s shaking his shoulders, patting his cheek and face. She spots a nasty looking burn and she’s instantly afraid. Not him too…! “Lewis..!” It’s only then that he seems to respond, the eyes behind his lids starting to move more rapidly and flinch. She cradles his shoulders into her arms, holding him tight as slowly his breathing changes and she can hear him mumble softly, complaining about discomfort but she feels and hears the top door be torn from it’s hinges and she can hear it’s trajectory before it crashes into the ground. 

“Lewis!?” Vivi urges, panicking as looking over her shoulder she sees the demon crawling out of the opening like a warped centipede, many sticky limbs coming out to pull this giant hulking slime beast towards them. The carousel poles are beginning to groan from the weight and on the other side of the big amusement machine it breaks and caves on itself. “C’mon, come on!” She cries, loudly, tugging him up as he blearily blinks his eyes and tries to focus, holding his throat and it’s only then she notices the red marks and the tell tale depth of developing bruises. She can’t focus long, the roof rocks again and more pillars give way as the hissing of melting metal reaches their senses.

“We have to go!” She calls at last, looking down to the ground and knowing it will not be a good landing starts leading them to the lip. She mentally began preparing to jump, starting a run that Lewis was pulled into, mumbling more coherent questions but there’s no time. She screams, a war cry for valour and leaps. Lewis is more hesitant, unsure and he holds on, before Vivi’s momentum pulls him forward and off the front, coming in for a flat landing. They're both screaming as air starts rushing around their ears and through their cloths, but Vivi notices just as soon that they aren’t falling any closer to the floor. 

She glances up, and it’s then that she realizes that they are being held aloft. The orange aura around them is keeping them in place though it still feels like falling. Her focus on a stable object as she is moving is causing the most fierce case of vertigo she’s ever experienced, and Lewis dry heaves behind her. It isn’t until they focus forward again that two pairs of shoes drift into her view, and Lewis is gasping as the spectre, the mastermind himself appeared once more. He drifted lower and lower, until he was a head above them, and raised his head. The vine of green was wrapped around like a shackle through his eyes, and it make for a creepy appearance once it snaked down into his chest. 

“So, it seems you survived the first show!” It starts, voice in that high nasal tone that pulls to Vivi’s fresh wounds, and he leans in, hat sitting on it’s bare head. The pockets for the skull’s eyes seem never ending in depth and Vivi cannot save herself from looking in their depths. She feels the world around her begin to spin as all her awareness is pulled into it. Her hands go numb and she can’t feel her legs, and then her body goes numb and everything goes to black. Lewis, she can hear him panicking and screaming but there’s nothing she can do to save him.

“Perhaps we should prepare the final act..?” It murmurs, almost longingly, and something sparks in her head, but Vivi’s too confused to let it register. Suddenly she feels two solid objects touch into her face, and she begins to come too. They are round and solid, and her face stops feeling numb. Soon there’s a spark dancing along all her nerves and she feels like the whole of her body had fallen asleep. It’s her knees, she’s folded up like a box and her knees are pressed into her chin. She shifts, trying to chase the tingling needles away when she hears the same going on beside her. Lifting her head that feels like a pound, She shakily glances over to Lewis and notices the dust on her lenses.  
 “Lewis..?” She starts, coughing when the dry air irritates the grains of dirt in her mouth and immediately she feels revolting. How did dirt get into her mouth? 

“Vivi…” Lewis affirms, sitting up from his laying position and dusting off his side. The two take a look around, and immediately notice that they have landed themselves in the centre of a circus ring. There is a single pillar in it’s centre, holding up to tight ropes that are attached to poles on the outside of the circle, which has red and yellow triangles as a pattern. Lewis begins to sit up, feeling uneasy, and glances at the crates and boxes littering the multiple arranged corners of the tent, between the spectator seats. Various boxes of popcorn and discarded drink cartons litter the stands, like a show had already occurred and everyone had left.

Everyone but them.

“Welcome, one and all!” Shouted an already familiar voice, and turning around confirmed the master of the house, suspended in the air just below the tight rope. In his one hand is a cane with some form of handle that looks ornate, but the details are gone from this distance. He folds a leg forward and bows, bringing his hat up and his cane around before standing again. 

“Welcome to my frightmare. Where I get revenge for what you fucks have done to me.” And it’s skull eyes narrow, focusing on them with so much anger that they shudder, mostly confused.

“What?” Lewis grinds out, his hands going into fists as he steps forward, leaning into Vivi’s direction as if to shield her. The ghost’s heart pulses, a halo of yellow coming from it before it fades off, and the heart churns like it means to turn a perfect solid pink, but the green is a sludge that taints the whole. 

“Oh you know, Lewis. The perfect young man, a primary example of a gentleman! Always hard working, always there for others, aren’t you? Ready to take on any task and belittle those around you. What do you care if they don’t understand?” The ghost is spitting, the green slime protruding from it’s body pulsing a hot green from it’s core, and the light begins to seep around and spread out around the darker outside. Lewis is stunned, stepping back and trying to assess what was going on. What Demon were they playing with here? Not Pride, nor gluttony… Lust? He would perhaps have targeted them differently… 

“And the angelic Vivi…” It coos next, tucking it’s cane in between it’s right arm and holding the brim of his hat with both hands. He almost looks apologetic, hunching over like that with rounded, pitifully cute eyes. “So sincere and caring for others, looking out for their best interests. Why, as the leader, it suited you perfectly! Or so you thought.” And the heart shudders, pulsing weakly like it means to do something else but it has not the strength, and the baby’s blue that overlaps the pink tries to shine out brightly above the rest, but each stroke with green dims it’s energy and corners it off. “You only needed the outside to match your ideal. If it looked okay it must be! Easier to ignore a scratch or crack when you taped it over, right?” 

The longer the ghost goes on, the more sour and angered it sounds until each word is clipped out angrily, aggressively, and sparks of orange fire are ranging down from his arms and skull, little flames trying to catch alight but cannot quite make it so far. 

“Who are you?” Vivi shouts out instead, taking three pounding steps to stand tall at Lewis’ side, snorting loudly to demonstrate her mood. Their display of defiance seems to shake the spectre a little and he’s wobbling in the air, backing up almost like he’s afraid, and Lewis’ face crumbles. The way the spectre is behaving… he feels like he’s known that particular habit before. The momentary nostalgia is dissipating before he can get a hold of it, as the spectre convulses and stretches out, like it’s being attacked from the inside as it’s limps splay out before the heart begins to collapse, shuddering green and almost… becoming the same slime itself.

“Lewis, I forgot to tell you. I saw a spectre.” Vivi started, placing a hand on his arm but neither are able to turn away as the ghost goes fetal position, energy billowing from it in waves. 

“What did you see?” Lewis is leaning back, watching the super nova of energy expelled as the spirit partially won, warding off the demon enough to compose it’s own form once more, and sagged, feeling drained but not enough to spare them an aggressive scowl. 

“It told me that the demon is lurking behind his heart. I think it was literal.” She manages to say before the ghost begins hovering down towards them. His hands clenched into fists, and he points an accusing finger between them.   
 “You ask who I am?” He spits, some slime actually falling forward and searing the ground as he advances, flames beginning to build along his shoulders, but they do not burn his cloths. “YOU ASK ME WHO I AM?” It bellows, his voice rising and becoming hysterical, and suddenly the flames are licking up his skull and the slime, recreating a head of hair that was so striking and similar that Vivi warbled a soft wail, her chest collapsing from the sight. Lewis felt a stone drop in his stomach, and it’s weight made him so unbelievably sick. To them, he looks like…

“It’s me!” Arthur! Don’t you remember me?” He’s positively screaming, the green slime winding down his arm and melting the shirt, meshing in with the exposed bone and changing it, morphing the whole into a frightening claw twice the size of the spectre’s head. He roars, the single yellow eye shaking around as gold tinged liquid begins to gather there and leaks over his cheek. The green eye is huge, pupil blown out and focusing intently on Lewis. 

“Of course not! I MATTERED TO NO ONE!” He bellowed, gliding forward in the air and rearing his hammer arm back. Lewis acted instantly, shoving Vivi out of the way before dodging himself, rolling back and aside. The reaction was sharp enough to clear them from harm, missing the blow by mere millimetres and Arthur is crying as he is screaming, the hollow sound heaving up and down in a strange mockery of a song. Lewis comes out of his roll running, leaping over a crate just as Arthur leaps up behind him, swinging that arm and smashing his way through the wood like it was a snowman, blown apart in seconds. 

“I WAS A THIRD WHEEL! NO ONE CARED! I WAS IN THE WAY. Aren’t you relived,” he starts more quietly, and it startles Lewis all the more when the air behind him rushes forward and he’s got a split second to duck before the arm is swiping over his head. “that I DIED?” He’s beginning to sound almost breathless at this point, but Lewis very much doubts he needs the air when he scampers over the ring, diving behind the spectator’s seats and begins crawling under the beams. 

He feels the vibration of the hammer arm tearing through the metal seats, and he cannot allow himself a moment to look back, to assess the carnage because every strike is closer and closer to him. Lewis scuttles as best he can, deciding that going all the way through was a bad idea and retreats diagonally from the seats, barely evading a punching strike that would have flattened him had he continued straight forward. 

“INSUFFERABLE WORM!” The ghost of his best friend howls again, surging forth relentlessly as the tears from his own eye continues to flow, splattering in the air behind his sliding steps. Vivi is still down on the ground, watching the carnage from afar, her eyes spreading rivers of her pain. Arthur… all this time… He’s been alone. With a demon. Her heart is thumping hard into her rips and she feels like falling apart but this is not the time. 

Vivi brushes her tears aside, sitting up again and looking around for Mystery. He’s no where to be seen, and she takes it that Arthur did not bring him along. She’ll have to manage alone. Fuck. Pushing a hand down the waistband of her skirt, she fingers around for the small pocket, and draws out a small piece of chalk. It’ll have to do. Gripping it tight, she runs to the centre mast and begins to draw sigils, casting prayers into the glyphs while glancing to keep an eye out for Arthur and Lewis. 

“I’m going to enjoy killing you, Lewis. Why don’t you HOLD STILL?” Arthur flares his energy in manifest as flames, sending a volley towards Lewis, which is deflected from the metal beams of the seats. The two of them are locked in a dance, and Lewis is doing everything he can to evade and keep clear of danger. Arthur’s lunges hold incredible power, the sheer force of his swings enough to break apart matter… but he’s blinded by his anger to slow down, aim better and think through his attacks. Another swipe destroys the second set of metal stands, and Lewis has to bank it to the next set of obstacles. He’s dipping around the pole as Arthur hovers in, snarling for everything he’s worth. 

“STOP IT!” He’s shrieking again, and there’s a distant, detached part of Lewis that wants to laugh because it’s so like Arthur to shriek and have his voice crack despite his age, but he knows it’ll become hysterical. He’s diving around the ring again, avoiding another heavy hit and Arthur begins frantically swearing and genuinely throwing a fit. 

“For fucks sake! Even now, with everything! I’m still a fucking failure!” Here he’s just hovering, his normal hand cradling the other side of his skull, sobbing as he’s laughing and Lewis takes the shot to dive down towards the other seats. “Even now, with all that I could have, it still…” here Lewis peeks from his hiding place, watching from the side as the slime starts to sink down the ghosts’ back, merging with the spine showing through his shirt and it’s then that he understands. 

“Vivi!” He shouts, distracting her for just a moment but it pulls Arthur from looking her way and seeing what she was getting up to. “It’s Envy!” He clarifies, and Arthur’s flaring his free hand for a flaming orb and lobs it. Lewis ducks away, dodging the volley and Vivi snaps her fingers. Of course! It’s so easy in her mind to distance herself from the identity of the ghost when her mind is focused on dissecting her memory for a good spell, and instantly she’s scribbling away at the pillar to make new arrangements to her enchantment. Seeing that Vivi was on the case Lewis starts working his way around more pillars, knowing his role as a distraction is what’s going to get them out of this situation. 

“I will have you BURN.” Arthur shouts again, but this time his voice is warping more and more, changing into something darker and deeper. Vivi winces from it, knowing that she must hurry and save Arthur, pulling out her crystal again and jabbing it against her thumb, breaking the skin with a wince and pushing it into the wood. Immediately the spell lights up, shimmering white and lifting off the the pole to broaden out and arch up, becoming a big dream catcher shaped pattern with glowing glyphs in between each gap. Arthur’s rearing his arm up, coming down against the metal of the seats before hefting it up.   
 “Shit!” shrieks Lewis, who'd had a leg curled over one of the bars to hop to the next section and was caught up in the lift. It takes him off kilter and he falls onto his back, momentarily stunned by the fall. It’s enough time for Arthur to chuck the structure almost casually over his shoulder and it lands on top of the other broken up parts, hissing from the acidic remains. Arthur’s full blown laughing, the flames around his head peaking and writhing as he floats in closer, holding out his fucked up arm.

“Right where I want you, peasant.” Arthur spits again, pointing a clawed finger at Lewis and all he can do is try and crawl backwards, scrapping his hands on the dirt but Arthur’s upon him in an instant, curling the hand around Lewis’ head like a trap. “Now I have the right to take my Kingship.” Arthur’s skeletal eyes narrow, focusing on Lewis with all the passion and the hatred he can muster. Lewis looks up into them, fully aware that he probably shouldn’t but if he’s about to die he wants to take this with him. The man who was by his side since middle school, the man he leaned on for support in everything. The man he began to love, along with Vivi, the woman of his dreams…

“Arthur, I never knew. I’m sorry.” he whispers quietly, his lower lip trembling as panic begins to dissipate. He drops his hands, knuckles and fingers shaking but it’s a distant feeling he isn’t holding on to. “You are my best friend. I never… realized what was going on through your head.” Distantly, Lewis feels like the hand has stopped moving, the radiating heat close enough to be a threat but it’s hovering there, still. He chances another look into Arthur’s face, and the skull is warped but frozen, manic and sad. 

“I always brought you along because you meant something to me. You were my confidence, my confidant… me hermano.” Lewis continues, softly, raising a hand up to try and touch Arthur’s… well anything. The green slime around Arthur’s body pulses and retracts, like a flinch and the ghost is hovering above him. It’s frightening how Arthur’s right half is all sadness and grief, and the left is anger and pain. 

“No, you’re lying…” He warbles softly, his higher toned voice beginning to slowly shine through, and the slime is beginning to shift and move, like it’s being burned. 

“I’m not. I’ve always thought of you as my…” and Lewis smiles, thinking on Arthur’s habits and his love for history and puzzles and the old english ways… “knight, ready to protect me, even from myself.” 

Arthur shrieks again, pain lacing his voice and the slime is rippling and surging. He holds himself, the claw beginning to melt and it’s then that the spell pulses and kicks in, drawing in that power and the toxicity in the air. The dream catcher rippled and turned green, flashing like a sparkler pattern and Arthur is positively writhing, both sockets spewing forth tears. His normal, human hand reaches out, trying to grasp Lewis and he extends his own, not sure what he was hoping to do by holding it out but Arthur is then tugged back, like a rope had been tied around his waist and his body snapped reactively in half. 

He’s screaming again but there’s a hollow ringing that is darker and angrier than ever. Arthur’s ghostly body meets the spell’s illuminated shape and sparks up, lightning riding up and down his limbs as he is pulled open and apart. Vivi is gesturing at Lewis, trying to get his attention but he cannot look away from what is happening. Arthur’s arms are held like a crucifixion, the green slime boiling and writhing as it is pulled into the dream catcher, evaporating upon passing through it. Arthur is writhing, his voice brokenly trying to call for help and Vivi finds her soul shuddering in response. Arthur..!

“Lewis, we need to banish the demon!” She cries out instead, startling Lewis into looking to her and nodding. He’s thinking, hard as he runs towards the dream catcher. Vivi mentioned behind the heart, right? Arthur’s head begins to roll back, the left side being pulled into the dream catcher and his yellow eyes is staring at Lewis, calling to him and it’s breaking his heart. The slime is coiling out, trying to crawl down Arthur’s front and it’ eating away at his cloths and it’s then he notices it. Behind the glass heart on his chest, behind a skeletal rib cage, is a gross looking cocoon of more solidified slime. 

“I’ve got it!” Lewis shouts, giving himself a heavy running start, pulling out the last vial of salt he’s got and clenching it hard in his left hand. He’s got one shot at this, and for Arthur… his shoulder and arm twitches but he’s keeping himself steady. Each step is a heavy one, but he pushes off as hard as he can. Arthur is coming in closer and closer, and the spectre is only able to spectate. 

Lewis is a few feet away and he then jumps, propelling himself up and the demon screams, throwing some parts of it’s body to try and keep Lewis away but they are weak discarding of it’s whole. Lewis hooks on to Arthur’s ribs and torso with his fingers and hand, climbing up his body to come face to face. The demon writhes again and sends a volley, and the acid strikes the side of Lewis’ face and he’s knocked aside, almost slipping free but his hands hold him steady. Arthur moans painfully, struggling to move but the spell holds him fast, his flames being sucked away into the void. 

“Arthur…!” Lewis screams out, a battle cry as he clenches his fist, surging forward to punch through the slime, right down into Arthur’s chest cavity and pushing the vial through the harder surface of the cocoon. Immediately he feels the acidic touch of the slime and he’s screaming, letting go of the vial and working to retract his arm from the substance but it’s holding fast, heating up and working away at his shirt and skin. It’s a short delay but the glass of the vial finally dissolves, bursting the blessed salt and the Demon begins to shriek, louder than any sound before. It releases Lewis, who’s thrown back and lands hard on his shoulder and side.

Vivi is already by his side, trying to check over his body when there’s an explosive sound from above. Lewis is wincing, holding tight to his injured and sizzling arm and barely manages to keep his eyes open to watch the aftermath. The whole of the slime has begun frantically surging forth, trying to escape but the tendrils that aren’t burning red and melting away are being pulled through the rows of the dream catcher, sucked out and dispersed. Arthur seems to have stopped making sounds at all, his body being roughed around like a rag doll as the demon goes through it’s death throws. 

“Fools…!” it manages with a broken, disjointed voice, a sickly face forming from Arthur’s open cavity and facing them down. “He was mine… with your corpses I could have revived..!” It chokes and warbles, chunks from the back of it’s head being pulled like melting wax of a candle. A single arm stretches forth from it’s mass, like it means to reach out and strangle Vivi or Lewis, but then the spell warps again and pulses yellow. It sucks in the demon, who’s cry of shock is cut short and the light it brandishes forth blinds the two of them. 

For a delirious moment Lewis believes himself dead if not for the scalding, white hot pain on his arm, curling in on himself as the reality around them warps and distorts. Vivi ducks down, tucking herself around Lewis as if to protect themselves, and they wait out the flow of power. It takes an eternity for four minutes, and everything begins to dim around them like the gentle setting of the sun behind a curtain of falling snow. Vivi is the first to move, uncurling herself to look around and her pulse jumps. She fixes her glasses, taking a look around and seeing a simple plot of land. Turning around, Vivi sees the gate from before, still hanging open and sagging, and Mystery curled in between the two. 

“Mystery..!” She calls softly, not believing her eyes as Lewis final stirs himself, groaning from the pain in his arm. He feels sweat coating his forehead and back, but he’s shivering and his mind, though delayed, knows it’s not a good sign. Vivi is running her hands over his shoulders and chest, checking his temperature and generally trying to stay calm.

“Lewis..!” She whines helplessly, and he coughs a soft chuckle.  
 “I think we need to… visit the hospital..” He manages quietly, his breathing a little laboured and Vivi is nodding, already getting up and helping Lewis sit up. He curls his arm gingerly against his side, working his way enough to stand before Vivi shoulders his good arm for support. Together, they slowly walk towards the gates. 

Vivi sees nothing but a flat plane where the house used to be, and her mind is spinning. Did her spell backfire? Did it banish them both? The lack of answers has her frustrated, but she resists by chewing the inside of her cheek. They make it to Mystery, who’s all curled up and Lewis shrugs, balancing his own weight and urging Vivi forward. She looks him over worriedly, her cheeks showing dimples from her frown but Lewis smiles weakly.  
“He’s your dog.” He mumbles softly, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple and she knows she won’t win the argument, and the longer they dally the more he’s going to suffer. 

“Okay.” Vivi slips from his arm and leans down, petting her dog who stirs, lifting his head and giving a small whine before nuzzling into her hand. “Hey boy.” She murmurs, elated that he’s okay.

“Viviane…” he responds softly in that peculiar way of his, shaking off his pelt and standing up. It’s then that something clinks and they both glance down at the glass, palm sized heart that was knocked around. 

“Grab it…” Lewis grunts, shifting his arm as the pressure hurts it a little but it’s not finding relief. Vivi does so, staring into the mixed surface of Robin’s Egg blue and soft Milady Rose magenta. This beautiful treasure… perhaps Arthur’s last gift? Her eyes water, and Mystery whines worriedly but she doesn’t bother to wipe her tears. She may have been rather vulnerable this mission, crying quite a bit but she felt more relieved than ever. She wasn’t weak, she wasn’t heartless. 

She pulls the heart into her hands, and the surface ripples. In her mind, memories of Arthur spring forth and she cannot stop the sob that escapes her throat. Lewis falls to his knees behind her, leaning into her back. She moves a little, making it more comfortable and he places his good hand on the heart. He feels the pulse in his body and his heart, and memories of his own flood through. Together, they bent their heads and hot tears poured down their faces, sobbing about the lover they never had, the man who was their strongest connection.

Their friend, who had always been there for them.


End file.
